Their Hero Academia
by Zylly
Summary: Twenty-five years after Izuki Midoriya and the rest of Class 1-A first set foot in the halls of U.A., their children begin their own hero academia. What adventures and challenges await the newest generation of future heroes? Can they possibly live up to the standard their parents set? Will they put Aizawa into an early grave? Or will this be the most Plus Ultra class of them all?
1. Chapter 0: Shota Aizawa and the Class th

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter Zero: Shota Aizawa and the Class that was Going to Kill Him**

Shota Aizawa had been a teacher at U.A. High for more than two decades now and in that time, he had seen excellent classes, terrible classes, a class he'd had to expel, and a class that had been nothing but troublemakers and headaches. He had faced Villains, monsters, and even Katsuki Bakugo. As the Underground Hero Eraserhead, he was still feared throughout the underworld. He had even faced the terrifying prospect of allowing his adopted daughter, Eri, to date.

So why was it that the unopened class roster for the year sitting in his e-mail filled him with such dread? As a Hero, he had a well-developed sense for when he was walking into danger and it was screaming at him now. Screaming as it rarely had before.

It was probably best to just get it over with. The sooner he had this done, the sooner he could take a nap. At least with the expansion of the school in the past decade, class sizes were not quite as large as they had once been.

He opened the first file, revealing a girl built like a small mountain, with rocky skin and a shock of green hair that looked more like moss.

**Ayaka Koda**

**Quirk: Photosynthekinesis – She can control and speed up the growth of plants.**

**Parents: Koji Koda (See Hero File: Anima)**

**Ibara Shiozaki (See Hero File: Vine)**

There was nothing worrying there. Koda had been one of his students twenty-five years ago and had been a quiet and unproblematic student. Checking the files on Shiozaki likewise revealed nothing worth worrying over.

The next file actually improved his mood. A young man with bright eyes and purple hair appeared before him.

**Shota Shinso**

**Quirk: Vocal Harmonics—Causes different effects to happen by singing**

**Parents: Hitoshi Shinso (See Hero File: The Voice)**

** Camie Utsushimi (see Hero File: Glamour) **

His former protégé had grown into a fine hero. And while his son was… excitable, Aizawa didn't see anything worth worrying over. Perhaps his dread was incorrect.

That assessment proved to be immediately incorrect. He opened the next file, revealing a blonde girl with what looked like the power cords from an appliance hanging from her earlobes. The sinking feeling he had been experiencing deepened.

**Chihiro Kaminari**

**Quirk: Extension Cord – Conducts and absorbs electrical energy along extendable cords from her ears.**

**Parents: Denki Kamimari (See Hero File: Chargebolt)  
Kyoka Jiro: (See Hero File: Earphone Jack) **

The child of more former students from his most troublesome class. He certainly hoped the girl took after her mother. Denki Kaminari had been one of the _dumbest_ students had had ever had the misfortunate to teach. He perused the attached files from the girl's middle school, finding fair to middling grades, as well as an attached file from a Quirk specialist about the potential side effects of electrical overload.

"Dammit." The last thing he needed was a repeat of that overcharged idiot. Maybe he could pound some sense into her head.

Aizawa pressed on, opening the next file. Or rather, the next two files. Twins. An uncommon enough occurrence in and of itself, and equally rare for both to be assigned to the same class. One was of a tall girl with blue-black hair and the other was a shorter boy with pink, tubular hair pulled into a tight ponytail. Both had strange, engine-like growths sprouting from their backs, some pointing straight back and others pointing downward.

**Sora Iida**

**Quirk: Jetpack – Flies at high speeds with turbine engine growing from back**

**Tensei Iida**

**Quirk: Jetpack – Flies at high speeds with turbine engine growing from back**

**Parents: Tenya Iida (See Hero File: Ingenium)**

** Mei Hatsume (See Support File: Hatsume, Mei)**

Not… completely cause for alarm, he tried to tell himself. Ingenium was the Number Six ranked hero and the Iida family was one with a proud heroic tradition. The mother, Hatsume, was a different factor, a respected, if regarded as eccentric, figure in the Hero Support community. She had not been one of his students, but he knew Power Loader still twitched whenever he heard the name. Twins, though… that had the potential for trouble. At least they wouldn't be his problem alone; a special note amended to their file included permission for dual enrollment in some of the Support classes.

He opened another file, now a hoofed-girl with long, purple hair and a pair of horns growing from her head.

**Mika Mineta**

**Quirk: Pop Horn –Fires sticky balls from her horns**

**Parents: Minoru Mineta (See Hero File: Grape Juice)**

** Pony Tsunotori (See Hero File: Rodeo)**

"Not possible," he said, eyes widening. "Surely no woman would voluntarily remain in Mineta's presence for any length of time, let alone breed with him." The girl also had a laundry list of complaints and disciplinary actions in her school files. He was dreaming and this was his nightmare. That was the most logical explanation.

He opened the next file. If this was a dream, best to just get it over with. It was hard to make out the details; the boy within the picture appeared to be glowing. Aizawa stifled a groan. He was probably going to regret this.

**Takiyo Aoyama**

**Quirk: Sparkle –Constant light generation; uses support gear to focus**

**Parents: Yuga Aoyma (See Hero File: Can't Stop Twinkling)**

**Haru Shima (See External School File: Shima, Haru)**

There was an external link to an adoption form. Perhaps the child wasn't as dramatic as Aoyama had been? No, that was too much to ask. His sinking feeling was rapidly returning.

Another file opened on a tall, wiry boy, with dark hair and thick lips.

**Kenta Sato**

**Quirk: Appetite –Can bite through and eat anything**

**Parents: Rikido Sato (See Hero File: Sugar Man)  
Chizu Ito (deceased) (See Management File: Ito, Chizu) **

This was a story he knew personally. Sato had taken over from Lunch Rush in running the school's cafeteria several years ago and his wife's death was something he still carried with him. He did speak highly of his son, of course, though he occasionally despaired over the influence the Sero child had on him. Hopefully, the boy would prove capable enough.

Speaking of the Sero child, that was the subject of the next file, a dark haired boy with skin a stunning, bright pink color.

**Takuma Sero**

**Quirk: Acid Tape –Fires acid coated tape from the back of his hands that can dissolve most materials**

**Parents: Hanta Sero (See Hero File: Cellophane)  
Mina Ashido (See Hero File: Pinky)**

Based on his conversations with the elder Sato, he knew this child to be trouble and a potential bad influence on others. It did not surprise him. His mother, Mina Ashido, had been nothing but trouble. This did not bode well.

The next file revealed a girl with a bright green bird head. It seemed the spawn of all of his most problematic class were truly coming home to roost. He didn't even have to look to know who this child's parents were.

**Asuka Tokoyami**

**Quirk: Frog Shadow –Host to a frog-shaped light being**

**Parents: Fumikage Tokoyami (See Hero File: Tsukuyomi)**

** Tsuyu Asui (See Hero File: Froppy)**

Things were getting promising once again. Asui had been an extremely responsible and promising student, and Tokoyami had been skilled enough to attract the attention of and intern under the Pro Hero, Hawks. Perhaps there could be an ounce of sense in this class after all.

The next file brought forth a tall boy with spikey white hair. More noticeable, however, were the additional arms. Four additional limbs sprouted from his back, each about twice as long as his normal limbs and multi-jointed.

**Daisuke Shoji**

**Quirk: Extendo-Arms –Has four extra arms that can extend to great lengths**

**Parents: Mezo Shoji (See Hero File: Tentacole)**

**Haruko Nakamura (See Gen Ed File: Makamura, Haruko)**

He was feeling more confident again. Perhaps some of his earlier worries were just aberrations. And if they turned out to be warranted, well… he hadn't expelled anyone in years. Perhaps it was time to start again.

With a click, he opened the next file, revealing a girl-shaped but otherwise empty school uniform.

**Kimiko Ojiro**

**Quick: Transparency –Bends light to become invisible; it always affects her skin, but she can expand its effects**

**Parents: Mashirao Ojiro (See Hero File: Tailman)**

** Toru Hagakure (See Hero File: Invisible Girl)**

Another unproblematic student. Things were actually starting to look up. Neither parent was worth worrying about. Ojiro had been a particularly sensible young man and he expected that the sense had been passed on.

He clicked next and opened the next file, this time of a skinny young man with dark hair that was marked by a pair of pink streaks. There was something familiar about him and the name eventually confirmed it

**Isamu Haimawari**

**Quirk: Slide and Glide –propels himself along surfaces at high speeds; requires three points of contact**

**Parents: Koichi Haimawari (See External File: Haimawari, Koichi)  
Kazuho Haneyama (See External File: Haneyama, Kazuho)**

It had been a long time since he'd thought about the Naruhata Vigilantes. The Hero community never had been very good at doing anything about them, had they..? But their child was enrolling in U.A.? Interesting indeed. This one, he would have to wait and see to form an opinion.

Aizawa opened the next file, revealing a young girl with pure white hair, save for the portion tied up in a ponytail, which was red.

**Izumi Todoroki**

**Quirk: Freezer Burn –Absorbs heat to create ice and cold but must then release it**

**Parents: Shoto Todoroki (See Hero File: Shoto)**

** Momo Yaoyorozu (See Hero File: Creati)**

He felt a twitch pulling at the corner of his eye. Yaoyorozu had been an excellent student. And Todokori had grown to become the current Number 3 Hero, in spite of all the issues with his father that had come to light over the years. Nevertheless, the boy had been nearly as problematic as Bakugo or Midoriya. A cursory examination of attached files revealed nothing more than a bright young woman with a promising future, albeit one plagued by childhood health problems. Perhaps issues like Todoroki's skipped a few generations.

He paid for his optimism when he opened the next file, showing a blonde girl, her hair done up in an elaborate set of spikes, snarling at the camera.

**Katsumi Kirishma-Bakugo**

**Quirk: Explodi-Touch –Hands secrete liquid that causes objects to become explosive**

**Parents: Katsuki Bakugo (See Hero File: Ground Zero)**

** Eijiro Kirishima (See Hero File: Red Riot)**

Additional information linked out to a file on a surrogate, and further files linked out to a host of disciplinary problems from her previous school. He wished he could say he was surprised. He further wished he was curdled up somewhere in his sleeping bag.

He brought up the last file, a round-faced young man with an unruly pile of green hair.

**Toshinori Midoriya**

**Quirk: Personal Gravity – He can increase or decrease the effect of gravity on himself**

**Parents: Izukya Midoriya (see Hero File: Deku)**

** Ochako Uraraka (see Hero file: Uravity)**

There were a distressing number of files linked out to hospital visits and broken bones. And a number of disciplinary files for getting involved in other students' conflicts.

Aizawa stared at the file for a good, long time. He flipped back through the other files, doing a tally on a piece of paper of potential problem children compared to non-problem children. Memories of Midoriya's years at the school flashed through his mind. A Midoriya, Todoroki, and Bakugo in the same class. _Two_ Iidas. A Mineta.

"Shit."

Perhaps it was time to think about retirement. He wondered what he had done to offend the universe… or possibly just Principal Nezu.


	2. Chapter 1: Toshi Midoriya and the Day of

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter One: Toshi Midoriya and the Day of Many Crises**

It was hardly Toshinori Midoriya (Toshi, to most of his friends)'s first time in the halls of U.A. High. He had been here many times before, both when his parents had been asked to guest lecture for the hero course and when visiting Grandpa Might at work. But this was his first time here as a student, assigned to Class 1-A, the very same class his parents had been in.

In fact, it seemed most of the students in Class 1-A this year had at least one parent who had been in that class. The only exception was Isamu Haimawari, the nervous young man he had met the previous night when moving into the dorms. Some of them, of course, he knew better than others, like Katsumi or Izumi or Sora and Tensei, but in one way or another, they were all family. His parents' class had been through hell together and had stuck by each other long after and that had extended to their children.

It was better that way. He couldn't imagine sharing the dorms with a whole bunch of strangers. Granted, Katsumi was occasionally scary beyond all reason and the Iida twins were absolutely exhausting at times and honestly Mineta was… Mineta, but they were who they were.

"I AM HERE! IN THE HALLWAY!"

Toshi nearly jumped out of his skin, narrowly avoiding running into another student in the hallway. He skidded to a stop and turned to see that his grandfather was behind him, looming large over everyone else. He still wore that absolutely awful mustard yellow suit that Grandma Inko had never been able to get him to throw out.

"Grandpa Might," he said, a little annoyed, "I thought we talked about this! I don't need you following me around!" He'd had to have a talk with both Grandpa Might _and_ Dad, who had been sobbing so much Toshi would have said he'd developed a water quirk, if that hadn't been a fairly regular occurrence. Fortunately, both Mom and Grandma Inko had backed him up on this. Not that his grandfather seemed intent on holding up his end of the deal.

Grandpa Might shook his head, grinning. "What? Oh, no, Young Grandson! I am not following you. I am just, ah, on my way to the Teacher's Longue for coffee! Yes, that's it… coffee!"

"You mean the Teacher's Longue that's on the other side of the building?" Toshi asked. His grandfather meant well, but he could sometimes be a bit much.

"Is that where that is? Curse this memory of mine…" Grandpa Might at least had the courtesy to look slightly chastised. Not that either one of them was buying his excuse.

Toshi just shook his head and smiled. "I love you too, Grandpa Might. But this is something I've got to do on my own."

Grandpa Might clapped a hand on Toshi's shoulder and he winced at the impact. His grandfather might not have had One for All anymore, but he was still an impossibly large man (hard to believe he was the same skeleton in some of the pictures around the house) with an imposing physique. Sometimes he tended to forget his own strength. "I know, Young Grandson. But do watch yourself. You've got Aizawa for a homeroom teacher, and he's just as wily as ever. He's long overdue for expelling another class."

"I'll be careful, Grandpa Might. Don't worry. I'll wait until at least the second week of classes before I break any bones."

His grandfather's shocked face was reward enough as he turned and headed to class. Crisis number one, averted.

If you had asked Toshi, he would have said that the first day was probably going to start off pretty well. Even with the incident with his grandfather, he was still holding out hope that further crises could be averted. As he walked into the classroom, he was immediately proven wrong about that.

Haimawari had taken the seat in the back right corner. Unfortunately for him, this had set him on a collision course with Katsumi. She stood before him, cracking her knuckles and looking like she was about to get physical. "Out of that seat, Newb. I'm sitting there."

Haimawari, for his part, let out of a terrified squeak. Toshi sympathized. Katsumi wasn't especially tall, but she was brawny, with thick, muscular arms and legs, and her hair done up into wild spikes that probably took half a bottle of styling jell. Add in red eyes and a truly explosive Quirk, he understood the desire to run from her like a frightened squirrel.

Granted, that wouldn't actually work, as he'd long ago learned when they were kids.

Now, though, Crisis Number Two was beginning to draw a crowd. He was pretty sure he was Mineta and Chihiro pulling out money to make some kind of wager, while Sero was pulling out his phone to record whatever might happen.

And then the Iida twins got involved.

"Katsumi, leave Haimawari alone!" Tensei shouted. "Seats on the first day are first come, first serve."

"There are plenty of other seats!" Sora, his sister, joined in.

"Shut up, Jetset! This is a private conversation!"

"Look, I can get up, I don't mind, really…" Haimawari started, having found his voice, but holding his hands in front of him like a shield.

Toshi sighed. Katsumi was… not a bad person. She just thought in very straight lines. Haimawari was in the seat she wanted, so she needed to remove him from it. He understood it, even if he didn't approve.

"Stay seated, Haimawari. She cannot make you move if you do not wish to," Tensei said, sternly.

"And I said shut up, Jetset!"

"I have a name!"

"Yeah, and when I can tell you and the other Jetset apart, I'll start using it!"

"We are not identical twins, Kirishima-Bakugo," Sora reminded her. "That should not be difficult."

As smart as they were, the twins had never figured out that Katsumi simply liked getting them wound up.

Toshi felt his legs moving, even as his heart was pounding in his chest. He could try and talk Katsumi down from this. He'd probably get slugged for his trouble, but Heroes made sacrifices. Though from his dad's tales of her dad, he had it easy compared to his father dealing with the elder Bakugo.

Fortunately, someone else gto there before he did. A frail but firm hand came down on Katsumi's shoulder. Izumi Todoroki. Very much Katsumi's opposite, she was thin and petite, looking like she might blow away in a stiff breeze, her white and red hair tied up in an elaborate ponytail. But her grey eyes held equal amounts softness and steel.

"Katsumi," she said, quietly. "Please, let it go."

Katsumi jerked away and reared back a first, stopping only when she realized who it was. It was a lot like watching a light switch being flipped, how quickly Katsumi went from ready to fight to ready to walk away.

"Yeah, all right. Since you asked so nice." As long as he had known the two of them, he couldn't recall Katsumi ever actually saying no to anything Izumi asked.

She jabbed a finger in Haimawari's chest, who was shaking so badly he looked like he was going to vibrate out of his seat.

"You got off easy this time, Newb." With that, she took the empty seat at the other end of the same row, shooting an "I'm watching you" glare in Haimawari's direction.

Toshi let out a breath he didn't even realize he'd been holding. Crisis Number Two was averted. Maybe he'd try and take some time to talk to Haimwarai later, explain that Katsuki was more bark than bite. Or maybe just pass on some other survival strategies.

"Ooooh, she gets me all hot and bothered when she's angry like that!"

And another one begun. He looked to his left to find Mika Mineta fanning herself exaggeratedly, sitting on a desk with her hooves tapping on the floor. Her best friend and frequent conspirator Chihiro Kaminari was perched on the desk next to her.

"Everything gets you hot and bothered, Mineta," he groaned. The best strategy with Mineta was not to encourage her, but that only got you so far.

"Can't blame a girl for not having discriminating tastes, Modoriya. I'm an equal opportunity luster." Her eyes fell on him. "You still working out?"

Crisis escalating! Would anyone notice if he bolted out the door?

"Leave Toshi alone, Mika," Chihiro said. She gave the other girl a playful slap upside the head with one of her Extension Cords. "Can't you see you're making him nervous?"

"Ugh. Such a turn-off. You've gotta grow more of a spine, Midoriya."

Fortunately, that seemed to be enough to get her attention away from him. "C'mon, Chihiro. We need to plan out how we're going to seduce the twins."

Crisis number three was averted. The seduction game was concerning, but there wasn't anything he could do about it now. And maybe that different levels of crazy would cancel each other out. The two took up the seats between Katsumi and Haimwarai.

That, at least, seemed to be the end of the various crises, which meant he needed to find somewhere to sit. The next row was already occupied, with Ojiro swapping gossip with Aoyama and Koda in quiet conversation with Shoji, both of whom were rather animatedly using their hands. In the second row, the Iida twins were lost in their own world, sketching something on a piece of paper between them (probably some invention that was equal parts brilliant and dangerous). Next to them, Sero was showing Sato something on his phone (probably something he wanted Sato to try and eat). In the front row, Izumi was seated in the far right desk, organizing her materials. That left him the empty seat between Asuka and Shota.

He took the seat next to the bird-headed girl and his best friend, giving Asuka a polite nod. "Class hasn't even started," Toshi said, "and it's already getting pretty crazy."

"Pretty normal for us, really. *Chirp*" Asuka's features were incredibly hard to read, but he had plenty of practice doing it, and she seemed already exhausted by the whole thing. "I thought Mineta was going to eat you alive."

"I'm… I'm pretty sure she wouldn't actually…!"

"Pretty crazy all right," Shota piped in. "But I bet it's going to be awesome! I can't believe we've all in Class 1-A, how great is that! I can't wait to get started! I'm gonna work so hard to make my Quirk the best I can! What do you think we'll do…"

Same old Shota. Getting a word in edgewise was always a challenge. His purple-haired best friend threw himself into everything he did. He too, was excited to prove himself. But he was worried he was up against an impossible standard. His grandfather had been the Number One Hero for practically forever, his father was one of the greatest Heroes of the current age, and his mother a respectable Hero in her own right. It was a tremendous legacy to live up to and he was deeply aware of all the eyes that would be on him.

"Well, I…" he began.

"All right, let's get this over with."

Thirty-two eyes snapped toward the front of the room, where their homeroom teacher, Shota Aizawa, stood. Toshi hadn't even heard him come in! The man may have been getting on in years—as evidenced by the grey streaked through his hair—but he was apparently just as skilled as he ever was. His eyes narrowed as he cast his gaze over the class and it seemed as if he'd rather be anywhere else in the world right now than in front of their class.

"For those of you who don't know me, I'm Shota Aizawa, your homeroom teacher. I taught most of your parents in what were the three most stressful years of my life. So let me warn you now. If any of you look like you're even coming _close_ to repeating any of their mistakes, I will not hesitate to expel you and save us all a lot of trouble."

Toshi was pretty certain that Aizawa was paying particular attention to Katsumi, Izumi, and himself when he said that. Their parents hadn't been _that_ much trouble, had they? And they couldn't possibly have as dangerous as first year as their parents had had. …Could they?

Aizawa was about to continue when the door to the classroom was suddenly flung open with great force.

"I AM HERE! …FOR A PERFECTLY EXPLICABLE REASON!"

Four crises and it wasn't even nine o'lock!


	3. Chapter 2: Isamu Haimawari and the Quirk

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter Two: Isamu Haimawari and the Quirk Test From Hell**

Isamu Haimawari was going to be a Hero. If he was lucky. And at this exact moment, he didn't really feel like he was. His very first day of his very first class at U.A. High had barely started and he'd already nearly been beaten up by the very scary blonde girl. He'd thought by sitting all the way in the back, he could avoid any kind of attention whatsoever, but that hadn't worked out at all.

At least the excitable duo and the calm girl with the two-tone hair had come to his rescue. He'd have to remember to thank them later.

All of these other people knew each other already. He was the outsider, the "Newb" as the extremely scary blonde girl had called him. The only one in Class 1-A that didn't have at least one parent who was a Hero.

Or at least, not any he could tell them about. His parents had been Vigilantes, walking the dividing line between Hero and Villain, fighting the good fight, but never getting the rewards or glory for it. Not that his dad would have wanted either. He just wanted to help people. He probably still would be, Isamu knew, if it hadn't been for a career ending injury several years ago. The Crawler had simply faded into a footnote in Hero history. He was proud of both of his parents and the good they'd done. But he couldn't share that with anyone. But he was going to be different. His dad had been training him, he'd studied hard, so that he could get into a good Hero academy. So he could take the lessons they'd learn and do it on a larger scale.

Not that his seeming lack of a heroic background was the only thing he had going against him. There were three Hero classes at U.A. High, sixteen students each, forty-eight potential Heroes all together. And he had come in dead last of those forty-eight (less than that, really, he understood several students had gotten in under recommendations), with the lowest possible score you could get on the Entrance Exam and still pass. And most of those had been Rescue Points.

He was pretty sure he didn't deserve to be here.

It had been several long moments since All Might had barged into their classroom, claiming that he was "just seeing how Aizawa was getting along." Judging by how the green haired kid—Midoriya, like _that_ Midoriya, the Number Two Hero Deku—had reacted, he wondered if this was going to be a common occurrence. Midoriya and Aizawa had practically shoved All Might back into the hallway and even with the door closed, they could be heard to be arguing about boundaries and personal space.

It was then he realized that the girl sitting next to him, the one with the purple hair and the hooves and the big… horns… was staring at him. He swallowed nervously. Girls, he usually found, mostly ignored him.

"Can I, ah, help you?" Isamu stammered.

"Well, aren't you a gentleman," she said, practically purring the words. Behind her, he could see the blonde with the weird ears snickering and the tremendously scary blonde pointedly ignoring everything. "I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Mika Mineta. And we can talk all about how you can "help" me. I could always use someone to polish my…."

Fortunately for him, she didn't get a chance to finish that thought, as Aizawa and Midoriya returned to the room _sans_ All Might. Already, Aizawa looked as though his patience had been tested to the limit and was ready to snap at the next person who put one foot out of line.

"All of you go get changed into your gym uniforms and assemble on the P.E. grounds in ten minutes."

After they assembled in the locker room, Isamu started to pull off his shirt, but Iida held up his hand. "Stop," he said. "Before we begin changing, there is one reasonable precaution we must take."

"You don't think…?" Midoriya began.

"Oh, c'mon, Iida! There's no way she's in here!" Shinso said.

"Where would she even hide?" Sero asked.

"No way she beat us here," Sato said. "…Right?"

He was clearly missing something here. The others were all treating this as some kind of common occurrence. Was this some kind of hazing ritual? Or did they know something he didn't?

"What?" he asked. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Mineta," Midoriya explained. "There's a really good chance she'd hiding in one of the lockers, trying to watch us change."

"Wait, what?" Isamu asked. "I know she was a little, ah, forward and everything, but you don't really think she'd…?"

The others exchanged knowing glances. Iida looked carefully at the lockers before opening one of them. "Ah…_ha!_"

"It's empty, Iida," Shinso said.

"Guess we were wrong," Sato added. "Maybe she's peeping on the girls this time."

"Whew," said the next locker over.

The other boys let out a collective groan.

"Allow me," Shoji said. He extended one of the arms from his back (not exactly stretching, more like it was growing more skin and bones, making him very glad he'd only had a light breakfast), opening the locker and hauling Mineta out of it by her shirt collar.

"Uh…hi?" she said, giving them a little wave. "How's it going?"

In one fluid motion, Shoji flicked his arm and tossed her out the door.

"Can't blame a girl for tryiiiiiiiing!"

Isamu was _never_ going to get used to this.

"Time was," Aizawa said, once they were all assembled, "I'd run these Quirk Apprehension Tests and then expel the lowest performer."

Well, that was it for him then. He wondered why he even bothered to unpack. First in his family to attend a Hero School and it had already come to this.

"Unfortunately, I'm only allowed three expulsions a year now, and I'm not about to waste any of them on the first day."

Oh. Okay. Maybe not. Maybe he could put that All Might poster up in his dorm room after all.

"But that doesn't meant that I cannot make things very unpleasant for any failures. And _**I can see you in the bushes, All Might!**_"

The first test was the fifty meter dash. At least this one would be something he could do. His whole Quirk was based on speed and his dad had taught him all kinds of tricks to go even faster. He could definitely do better than some of the ones who had already gone, anyway. Ojiro, Koda, and Sato may have had impressive Quirks (well, invisibility was impressive, he wasn't sure what Sato and Koda could do), but that didn't make them any faster than you average person. Midoriya had done better, using his Quirk to reduce his weight to the point where he was bouncing along like a super ball.

He could do this. He could. His first demonstration of his Quirk in front of his teacher and classmates. Nothing to be afraid of.

Isamu bent down into a three-point position and… _CONTACT_! He launched himself forward with as much speed as he could muster. It was always a thrill using his Quirk, using the repulsive power to push himself forward, like his own personal roller coaster. It kicked like a mule and required split second control, but it was more than worth it for what it let him do.

_WHOOSH!_ The fifty meters sped by like nothing; he was at the end before he even knew it. He applied some of his repelling force ahead of him, starting to slow himself down, but he overcorrected, skidding to an awkward stop that left him a tangle of limbs on the ground.

"3.80 seconds," the camera robot reported, as he got to his feet, awkwardly dusting himself off.

That… that wasn't bad! Maybe not his best, but if he had time to build up a little more speed… maybe he could do this!

"You know, Sensei," Tensei Iida said, "hundredths of a second may be accurate enough for measuring the speed of an average individual, but with speed Quirks like Haimawari's or ours, it is completely inadequate!"

"If you let us take a look at the robot," his sister joined in, "we could probably get it to the thousandths."

"Or the tens of thousandths!"

"Or the hundreds of thousandths!"

"Or…"

"_Both of you just go already!_" Aizawa shouted.

Both twins exchanged a grin. "Turbines… to… speed!"

The engine pipes on their backs roared to life, launching them both through the air like a pair of runaway rockets… and straight towards him! So distracted were they by their dispute over measurements, no one had waited for him to get out of the way! Isamu hit the dirt at the Iida twins soared over his head, nearly clipping him.

"1.02 seconds," the report reported. "And 1.02 seconds."

They were _both_ faster than him!? Great. Just great. The one thing did really well, and he wasn't even the best in the class at that! And what good was a little bit of ground speed when the two of them could fly?

"Someone want to get Haimawari out of the way before he actually gets run over?" Aizawa grunted.

"I've got him." He felt one of Shoji's arms pulling him out of the way.

He really should have just stayed in bed today. He was pretty sure Heroes didn't need to be dragged away like day old fish.

Ultimately, it was still good enough for him to get to third in the fifty meter dash. Not that some of the others hadn't been impressive in their own ways. He'd seen Tokoyami produce a green frog made of light from her body and ride it, talking to it all the while. Sero had shot tape at the finish line and reeled himself to it. Shoji had palmed along with his Extendo-Arms, moving like some kind of creepy spider. Todoroki had iced the track and slid forward on it, though she'd then had to shoot a stream of flame into the air. Even Mineta had proven surprisingly swift, running nearly as fast as a horse.

And Shinso… He still wasn't exactly sure what he'd seen there. The purple haired boy had taken a deep breath and let out a high pitched note at the ground, causing it to ripple like a wave with him traveling along it.

All of their Quirks were so much more impressive than his.

At least a few others like the incredibly scary blonde and Kaminari had done merely athletically well. He tried to assure himself that third out of sixteen was still very impressive.

"Not bad," Aizawa told the class. "Of course, that was just the first test. We'll see if you're all still smiling by the end of it."

It was going to be a long day. What else would they be doing? He was in decent enough shape, but his Quirk was fairly straight forward in terms of how it could be applied. He'd probably come in dead last

"That was impressive!"

Isamu jerked. How had the Iida twins snuck up on him like that? They weren't exactly quiet.

"Uh, thanks, Iida," he told Tensei.

"Of course," Sora said, "you could probably go even faster with the right support gear. Perhaps some directional fins?"

"Maybe a rudder for easier turning?" Tensei added.

"Retro-rockets!" both bubbled.

Somehow, Sora had produced a tape measure and began taking his measurements, while Tensei continued to suggest different improvements.

HELP!

"Hey!" Midoriya shouted. "Both of you, leave him alone! Give him some breathing room before you start fitting him for a jetpack or moon boots or whatever!"

The Iida twins shooed away, Isamu gave Midoriya a relieved smile. "Seems like everybody's rescuing me today. Thanks." At least three rescues, maybe five, depending on how you counted the two Mineta incidents.

"Don't worry about it," Midoriya assured him. "You just have to set boundaries with the twins early on. Or else you'll wake up with rockets strapped to your feet."

"That's an oddly specific thing to say."

"Personal experience." There were so many follow-up questions Isamu had to that, but Midoriya continued talking. "Your speed really is amazing! I mean, I know Slide and Glide Quirks are pretty common, but you're really good at it!"

Isamu shook his head. "Just got lucky. I'm nowhere near as fast as the two of them."

"Don't worry about your score," Mirodiya said. "Dad came in dead last on these when he was first starting out. And it didn't do him any lasting harm."

Well, if the Number Two Hero could start his career by coming in last, maybe he'd do all right after all.

Maybe.


	4. Chapter 3: Izumi Todoroki and the Perils

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 3: Izumi Todoroki and the Perils of Lunch**

It had been a busy morning. Aizawa's Quirk Apprehension Tests had taken a lot out of Izumi. She had not done as well as she would have liked, coming in 15th, only ahead of Ojiro. She could move quickly for very brief spurts by traveling along ice slides, but she had neither the strength of limb nor the stamina for overly long activities. The unfortunate side effect of inheriting her grandmother's frail constitution and a childhood illness that she had barely survived. When well rested, she could do well enough, and it was believed she would continue to get stronger. In the meantime, she would just have to do her best.

Even beyond the Apprehension Tests, it had been a busy morning. English, Math, Literature, Science… not for nothing was U.A. one of the best high schools in the country. The work so far was challenging, but doable. It would probably be to their benefit to organize study groups before they got much further into the term, though she suspected some would need it more than others.

Fortunately, they had a bit of a break. It was lunch time and Class 1-A was heading to Lunch Rush's Cafeteria. The name was a bit of an artifact now, but kept in honor of the retired Hero. Sato's father, Sugar Man, had taken over the job several years ago.

"I can't believe we have homework on the first day," Mineta complained. "All that English work is going to kill me!"

That… did not make sense. Izumi tilted her head slightly. "Isn't your mother American, Mineta?"

"Just because I can speak it, doesn't mean I want to do it for school, Todoroki."

"I thought the only things you knew in English were pick-up lines?" Kaminari asked, her earlobes swinging freely.

"Yeah, well, that too."

Izumi just shook her head. She was definitely never going to understand the horned girl. She'd arrived late to their locker room for the Quirk Apprehension Tests this morning already, complaining that the boys were "no fun," which had earned her sympathy from Kaminari, a stern talking to from Sora, and threats from Katsumi. At least the morning's lessons had left Mineta too exhausted for trying to force herself on anyone, male or female.

"Oh, Brother?" Sora began. "Would you care to race me to the Cafeteria?"

Tensei stopped short. "Sora! You know there is no running in the hallways! What would our father say?"

"He'd probably remind us of the same thing. But you know what Mom would say…"

Both spoke at the same time. "There's no rules about flying!"

The two of them had always been like that, following the strict letter of the law while looking for any exploitable loopholes in the spirit. Their minds were like twisted corkscrews, brilliant but never following the path one would think.

Both Iida twins activated their jet-packs, zooming through the hallway and narrowly avoiding clipping several students and Aizawa.

Their homeroom teacher slumped against the wall. As they walked past, Izumi was certain she could hear him mutter something about retirement. Excitable the Iida twins may have been, she envied their energy and speed.

Izumi sat down next to Toshi, Shinso, and Asuka after she had gotten her lunch. As always, she first opened her bottle of water and took her pills. Four pills, three times a day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It was so ingrained in her, she doubted she could forget if she tried. Her friends were kind enough to wait for her to finish that before they began their lunches.

"You doing okay, Izzy?" Toshi asked.

"I'm fine," she insisted. "This morning just took more out of me than I expected."

"Don't overdo it, *chirp*," Asuka said.

She meant well, Izumi knew, but it still stung a bit. She was not a toddler who needed looking after. She shoved rice into her mouth rather than argue. She had enough people worrying about her with her parents; she didn't need her friends doing it too.

Toshi suddenly stood up and waved. "Haimawari! Come sit with us!" He slid closer to Shinso to allow Haimawari to join them at their table.

"Uh, thanks, Midoriya," Haimawari said as he said down. "I really don't know anybody here, so I was worried I wasn't going to have anybody to eat lunch with."

"Well you know us now," Toshi told him. "This is Tokoyami, Todoroki, and Shinso. Everybody, this is Haimawari."

She joined in the polite greetings to Haimawari, unsurprised that Toshi had invited him to join their group. She often thought that making friends was Toshi's real Quirk, not gravity manipulation. The green-haired boy had never met a stranger and was quick to reach out to those he saw as being in need.

"Your Quirk is so _cool_!" Shinso bubbled. It would have been easy to chalk his enthusiasm up to the fact that he was nearly a year younger than the rest of them, but Izumi knew that that was just the way he was. She supposed he'd be that way at eight or eighty.

Shinso continued on. "You were just like… zoom! Whoosh! Sliiiiide!"

Haimawari chuckled, flushing a little with embarrassment at the sudden attention. "It's really not. It's one of the most common Quirks in the Registry, after strength enhancers. You all have way better quirks. Especially you, Shinso! The way you just made the ground do that thing by singing at it…!"

"It's not what Quirk you have," Toshi said, "it's what you do with the Quirk that matters. That's what my dad always says."

Haimawari shook his head. "Not going to argue with the Number Two hero, I guess."

"Number One!" Shinso said. "I checked the Rankings when we sat down. Le Million and Deku traded spots again!" He paused, then looked over at Izumi. "Shoto's still Number Three and Kirishima-Bakugo's dad is still Number Four."

Izumi waved it away. "Father doesn't care about the Rankings. He says they're nothing but trouble. He would probably opt out of the whole thing, if he could." It certainly seemed an arbitrary and pointless system to her. Heroes were heroes, why worry about statistics?

***BAM*BAM*BAM**

The sound of someone slamming a spoon against a lunch tray caught their attention, and she looked to see Sero standing with one leg up on a table, doing the banging.

"And now," the pink-skinned boy said, "it's time to play everyone's favorite game… "_Can Sato Eat it?_'"

Around him, Kaminari and Mineta burst into applause. Sato posed theatrically. Others in the lunch room looked on curiously, this being the first time they were seeing the game the two boys had been playing for years.

"Now," Sero went on, "many of you already know how this game is played. But for those of you joining us for the first time, let me explain! Our boy Sato here has a Quirk that lets him eat anything! And I do mean _anything_! So name your item! And we'll find out… _Can Sato Eat it?!_"

"This notebook!" Ojiro shouted, tossing it towards them.

Sero caught it with a deft hand. "You heard the lady, Big Guy!"

Sato took the notebook and bit into it, chewing and swallowing rapidly. Paper, metal rings, cover, all of it was gone in moments. "Needs salt!"

Asuka put her head in her hands. "You'd think they'd have outgrown this game by now."

Green light sparked from her mid-section as Frog Shadow appeared, grabbing a plate off of Toshi's tray. "This plate! This plate! This plate!" With a flick, it sent the plate flying, while Asuka tried to hide under the table.

Sero shot out a stand of tape, its acidity tapped way down, and reeled in the tape. "A plate for the Green Lady!"

He handed it off to Sato, who set it spinning on his finger, leaning in to take a bite as it spun. It too, was quickly gone. "Crunchy!"

"Really, Frog Shadow?" Asuka demanded of her other half.

The frog-being gave a little shrug. "What?"

Izumi really didn't understand the point of the game, or the theatricality associated with it. Sato's Quirk was specifically stated to be the ability to eat anything. And while she supposed there were limits to that as yet unfound—she imagined he couldn't consume energy or gas or the like—she could not see the point in "testing" it against ordinary, everyday items, when they all knew what the result would be. Nor did she understand why so many were so impressed by it.

"Wooo!" Shinso stood up in his chair, cheering. "Go Sato!"

No, she did not understand it at all.

"These spoons!" Katsumi said, as she approached the show in progress. She shoved a handful of spoons in Sato's face and he took them somewhat reluctantly. He should have been more reluctant, as they suddenly went off like firecrackers in his face. Both he and Sero let out rather loud shrieks, but neither was harmed any, the explosions more noise than spark. Mineta and Kaminari though, had shot under the table, huddling together, fearful of Katsumi's wrath.

"Dang it, what was that for?" Sero demanded. "You ruined the show!"

"Good!" Katsumi shouted back. "Maybe now I can eat my damn lunch in peace! Woman up and stop acting like a bunch of shitty kids!" She gave Sero a shove, forcing him to back into his seat before stomping back to her own table. A table, Izumi noticed, that now had a clear empty circle of tables around it.

Haimawari looked pale. "Is she… is she always like that?"

Izumi understood his fear. Katsumi possessed a formidable Quirk and a short temper. And she already seemed to have it in for him. Now, he had seen what she was capable of. But he also did not know her as they did. He did not know how she had stuck up for Izumi against bullies when she was much sicklier than she was now. He did not know the doubts and fears she revealed when no one else was around. But those were not her secrets to tell.

Toshi and Shinso looked awkwardly anywhere but at Haimawari. Neither wanted to be the one to answer that question. Asuka was about to speak, but Izumi knew that she would be blunt about it, and while she understood the value of such bluntness, now was not the time. Such would only sour Haimawari against Katsumi further and damage any potential ways forward.

"She has her good days and her bad," Izumi said, seizing the moment. "You will see."

"I guess…" Haimawari said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'll speak to her," Izumi assured him. "No matter how forgiving of her we may be, she should not run roughshod over you like that."

"And she'll actually listen?" he asked, surprised.

"She always listens to Todoroki!" Shinso assured him. "It's, like, super weird. I mean, if it was my dad, I'd get it, but her Quirk isn't anything like his!"

In truth, Izumi did not understand the power she seemed to have over Katsumi either. They had been friends for a long time and shared much. But friendship alone should not have been enough to overpower the fierce girl's instincts. All she could do was apply whatever influence she had sparingly, only when a word to turn her away from a course of action was absolutely necessary. She did not seek to change her friend, only occasionally redirect.

"YOUNG GRANDSON! DID YOU EAT ALL YOUR VEGETABLES?"

Izumi winced as All Might appeared behind them, far more stealthily than she would have expected of so big a man. Toshi, meanwhile, literally jumped out of his seat, his gravity-power lifting him into the air. All Might grabbed him with a practiced hand and returned him to Earth before he could get too far.

"ALL MIGHT!" Shinso cheered, despite having met the man several times. "YEAH!"

Toshi just banged his head against the table. "_Grandpa Might…!"_


	5. Chapter 4: Katsumi and Dorm Life

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter Four: Katsumi Kirishima-Bakugo and the Adjustments of Dorm Life**

Nodding slightly to herself, Katsumi set the family photo on her desk. Taken during her little brother's last birthday, she could just make out the banner in the background. There was Papa, grinning and mugging for the camera with his arm around Dad, who was doing his best not to look too grumpy. Dad never was one for overt displays of affection, at least, not where other people could see. She stood to their left, smiling in a way few people could get her to, though her family were absolutely some of those people. And there was Taishiro, his dark hair done up in spikes like Papa, grinning so broadly she thought his head was going to split in half.

She'd never tell the little ball of sunshine/brat, but she was already missing him something fierce.

Her dorm room was about the size of her room at home and for the most part, decorated similarly. Heavy Metal posters adorned one wall, a dart board another, and a punching bag hung from the ceiling in the far corner. She'd been too tired from moving in last night to finish setting up and she had to admit, it felt good to have it all done.

With the first floor given over to common areas, the sixteen of them were spread over the remaining four floors, making for plenty of space between eight boys and eight girls. Toshi, Shinso, one of the Jetsets (she knew their names, but their buttons were just too easy not to push), and the Newb occupied the second floor. Good. Toshi… Well, Toshi she could deal with. She'd grown up knowing him, more than some of the others. On a good day, she considered him a friend.

But Shinso was sugary enough to give you diabetes and Iida set her off whether he was in rules mode or inventor mode. And the Newb… she just didn't like his face. At least Toshi, Shinso, and the Newb could nerd it up. Maybe they'd make Iida crazy.

The third floor held Mineta and Kaminari, along with Koda and Tokoyami. The latter two were in for hell. Koda, at least, she felt sympathetic for. Tokoyami would make the mistake of trying to "mom" Mineta and Kaminari and would be in for no end of grief because of it. The two of them were thick as thieves and always up to something. She was just glad it wasn't her down there. She was absolutely certain she'd have come to blows with Mineta before any time at all. Probably still would, but at least there was a floor between them for now.

At least the horned-girl had given up trying to hit on her after Katsumi had had a conversation with her that had involved a very vivid description of what she would put where and ending with a theoretical trip to the glue factory. A little fear of being exploded did wonders.

The fourth floor was Sato, Sero, Aoyama, and Shoji. The first two were going to be trouble, she knew that, even before they'd pulled that damn fool stunt at lunch. Shoji would probably just ignore them and she honestly couldn't recall if she'd ever said ten words to the sparkling Aoyama. As long as Sato and Sero didn't interrupt her sleep or when she was studying, she really didn't care.

And on the fifth floor, there was herself, Izzy, and Ojiro. Ojiro was tolerable enough, if only in small doses. The invisible chick was a gossip, both of the celebrity kind and the lives of her friends and people she knew. Not Katsumi's style at all. Not to mention she had one hell of an annoying laugh. She supposed, though, when you were invisible, you tried to take up as much space as possible in other ways.

And Izzy… Well, she ranked up there with Toshi for people who bugged her the least. And given the choice between the two, she'd pick Izzy. She's go as far as to call Izzy her best friend. Certainly, she never set her off like just about everyone did sooner or later.

Wait. That was just three. Who else was there? Oh. Right. The other Jetset. She was trying to forget that, pretend it was all a bad nightmare. But given the persistent noise from the next room over, that wasn't happening. It hadn't been a consistent noise, but every now and then, she would hear the sounds of Iida's jet engines firing, or her yelping, or what sounded like someone banging into the walls at ceiling height.

How. Could. One. Person. Make. So. Much. _**NOISE**_**?! **It was worse than when Toshi had had to chase his grandfather off.

Papa would suggest taking a deep breath and counting to ten. Dad would suggest going over there and settling things personally. So she was going to woman up and deal with it.

Stomping out of her room, she made a sharp turn to the right and pounded on Iida's door. "_What the hell is going on in there?! Do I have to break down this door to get you to shut the hell up?_"

The door must not have been locked, because her pounding caused it to swing open. She didn't know what she was expecting when she went inside, but Iida hanging from the ceiling by several thick straps was not it. The room itself was a complete mess, every wall covered in blueprints and nearly every available surface covered in engineering books or tools.

The blue-haired girl gave her something of a sheepish grin. She and her brother were not especially good with boundaries, but apparently, they did have some sense of shame.

"Katsumi! I can explain! I know that there are restrictions against noise after eight p.m., but surely by average, my volume level was far below…"

Katsumi's annoyed expression must have been enough to put her off her game for once, because she actually shut up. "What _the hell_ are you doing?" Katsumi demanded.

"I was attempting to arrange a something so that I might sleep while suspended from the ceiling! Unfortunately, I was not able to make the modifications correctly and became rather entangled."

Well, count that as one of the most absolutely stupid things she had ever heard, and she'd listened to Toshi and Shinso ramble on and on about Heroes and Quirks for hours on end. She should have walked away right then and left the jet-powered alleged genius to her entrapment. That was what she should have done. However, almost against her will, she felt her mouth forming words.

"_Why_?"

She instantly wished she could have taken the words back. In spite of her curiosity, she was certain there was no answer to the question that wouldn't be impossibly stupid.

Iida actually managed to look embarrassed for a moment, something she didn't think was possible. "I… I have difficulty sleeping on my back," she said, "because of my engines."

All right, that made sense, more or less. But that still didn't explain the nonsense. Fortunately (or perhaps not), more explanation was forthcoming.

"My brother does too, but he can sleep on his stomach." Her hands reached up to touch her rather generous chest. "That is… also problematic for me. I can sleep on my side, of course, but then I cannot roll over easily in the night."

It was turning into a night for unexpected answers. Sure, there were plenty of Quirks that gave physical alterations that made certain aspects of life challenging for some people, but Iida seemed to have drawn a particularly bad combination of Quirk and normal physical characteristics.

"That," Katsumi found herself saying, "that fucking sucks, Iida. What do you usually do?"

"I mostly just get used to it. I have trained myself to be able to sleep without much movement… but I was imagining the possibilities and decided to take matters into my own hands!"

Katsumi fought the urge to facepalm. She wasn't _exactly_ sorry she asked, but how could someone that smart be that _dumb_ at the same time. She shook her head. "You're really pretty entangled there, aren't you?"

"In attempting to escape, I may have made things worse, rather than better."

"Is everything all right in here?"

Katsumi looked to the doorway and saw Izzy standing there, looking concerned, along with a floating bathrobe and a pair of bunny slippers that had to be Ojiro.

The bathrobe pointed towards Iida. "Didn't know you were into that kind of thing, girl!"

Katsumi felt her face redden at the accusation and felt her blood boil. Her hands curled into tight fists. "What…?! I'm not… she's not…! Don't think I can't kick your ass just because I can't see it, Ojiro!"

Unfortunately, Ojiro only seemed to find the threats funny, because she began laughing, nearly bending over double. "Oh.. ha ha ha… you should… you should have seen your face!"

"Please, Katsumi," Izzy said, holding up a hand before she could mount any further threats to the invisible girl, "I am certain Ojiro did not mean it."

She turned to look at Ojiro. "Right?" she asked. Her tone of voice made it clear she wasn't really asking a question.

Ojiro quickly tried to compose herself. "Uh… yeah, right. Sorry."

"Thank you," Izzy said. "Perhaps if we all work together, we can get Sora down?"

Dammit, she never could say no to Izzy.

It took longer than she would have thought to disentangle Iida; by the time they had finished, it had gotten late and classes would likely be just as unforgiving, if not more so, than they had been today. Katsumi had told Iida girl if she ever tried anything like that again, she would definitely not be coming to her rescue. And then Izzy reminded her that as classmates and friends, they should all be willing to help each other.

And what was she supposed to say to that?!

They'd left Sora in her room and Ojiro had headed back to hers, leaving Katsumi alone in the hallway with Izzy, whose room was across from hers.

Izzy paused before the door to her room. "I'm impressed, Katsumi," she said.

Katsumi shrugged. "Why's that?"

"You only tried to start three fights today. That's a new low."

"Three and a half. I was ready to let Sora have it before she told me why she was doing it."

Izzy smiled and Katsumi felt her heart flutter in her chest for a moment. "Still a new record then. I'm proud of you."

Katsumi shook her head. "Not promising that's gonna keep happening, Izzy. Somebody's gonna set me off sooner or later. And then… well, somebody's gonna go boom."

Definitely not her fault so many people made her so mad, right? Papa did always say losing her temper wasn't Wo-Manly, but Dad always said sometimes, you just had to punch someone. Contradictory advice had, in truth, made up most of her experiences. It was a wonder she didn't get into more fights as it was.

"I trust that you will try then," Izzy said, as she opened her door and stepped inside her room. "Good night, Katsumi."

"Good night, Izzy."

Katsumi returned to her own room, quickly changing and plopping down on her bed. The conversation replayed itself over in her head. Was she really so bad that three and a half near fights was a record?

_Yeah. Okay. I'll try. For you, Izzy_.


	6. Chapter Five: Toshi Midoriya's Heroics

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter Five: Toshi Midoriya and the First Heroics Class**

The next morning found Toshi rising early, as he usually did. It was a habit he'd picked up from his dad years ago. They'd go for a jog or another workout and then make it back home in time for breakfast. He had always looked forward to it and intended to keep up his exercise program while he was at U.A. It was good for the mind and the body.

It was nearly seven by the time he returned to the dorms and most of the Class was already assembled in the common room, eating various combinations of breakfasts. They were still in the process of developing a chore wheel for the dorms, which would end up including some light cooking, but for now, it was a bit of a free-for-all.

Sitting at one of the tables with Asuka and Izumi, Shinso gave him a sleepy wave, then beckoned Haimawari over to join them. Good. That meant his efforts yesterday were being rewarded. Not that he'd have expected anything less of his friends.

He returned the wave and headed to the small kitchen, where Takiyo Aoyama was preparing complicated looking omelets with the help of Akaya Koda. He gave both of them a polite nod while he searched the cupboard for his power bars. "Smells good, guys," he told them.

"Of course it does," Aoyama said. "I'm the one making it."

The blonde boy's illumination was barely noticeable, but definitely growing as he spent more time in the light of both the lamps and the sunlight filtering in through the windows. Toshi understood that he kept his room totally blacked out while he slept, so that some of the light he absorbed throughout the day could bleed off. By the end of the day, he'd be nearly too dazzling to look at, unless he burned off some of the power.

He also understood that, like his adopted father, Aoyama's Quirk was not entirely under his control, requiring multiple support items to use the light he absorbed for much more than glowing brightly. Toshi couldn't imagine what that was like. Sure, he'd accidentally launched himself into the air when he was surprised on occassion, but to have that much trouble with a part of yourself…

Koda gave Aoyama a gentle nudge with her large hand. Despite her size (both the tallest and widest in the class), she was possessed of one of the gentlest demeanors of anyone Toshi had ever met. "Arrogance ill becomes anyone, Aoyama," she told him. Her voice was especially incongruous with her build and size, soft, like the wind whispering through the grass. "Especially after I convinced these peppers to grow, that they might enhance our meals. Do not dishonor their sacrifice with your pride."

The large girl had an interesting perspective on things sometimes. But to each their own. He supposed that, with her Quirk, she understood plants better than most.

The point seemed to be made with Aoyama, though, even if he didn't seem to completely buy the idea of dishonoring the peppers' sacrifice. "As you say, _Mademoiselle_ Koda," he said, reluctantly. "I appreciate your help in these culinary matters."

Not exactly a thank you, not exactly an admission of fault. Of all the children of Class 1-A, Toshi knew Aoyama the least well. His family spent equal time in Japan and in France, so he hadn't been around the rest of them as much. Toshi hated to think badly of anyone, but he couldn't exactly say he liked what he had seen. Takiyo Aoyama struck him as especially arrogant and concerned only with his own achievements. Maybe he'd grow out of it? Especially once they all really started working together? Toshi could only hope.

Koda held Aoyama's gaze for a moment, then decided that was probably the best she was going to get. She helped him begin to plate the omelets. "Would you care for any, Midoriya?" she asked. There was clearly only enough for two, but he appreciated the gesture all the same, especially since Aoyama was making a rather unpleasant face behind her.

He shook his head, already biting off a piece of one of his power bars. "I'm good," he said. "You two enjoy."

Toshi walked out of the kitchen, taking in the rest of the room. The Iida twins were absent, probably at spending their pre-class hours in one of the workshops in the Support building. Sero was busy filming Sato with his phone, no doubt streaming his friend's eating of a small cactus for all the internet to see. Kimiko Ojiro was pointing out something in a magazine to Shoji, who appeared to be doing his best to feign polite interest in whatever celebrity gossip the invisible girl was sharing, and to Mineta, who was mostly drooling over the models on the cover. Chihiro absently munched on a breakfast sandwich, lost in whatever music she had streaming through her phone.

That only left Katsumi unaccounted for and she was likely still up in her room, getting in her morning workout. Where Toshi's leaned more towards running, Katsumi's involved more weight lifting and punching. Probably nothing to be worried about.

His phone buzzed, letting him know he had a text.

**Dad: Hey, champ! Ready for your first real Heroics Class today?**

**I sure hope so! I can't imagine what Grandpa Might has planned!**

**Dad: Just so long as he doesn't have you fight Katsumi. I don't need to hear from Bakugo about that!**

**He wouldn't really do that, would he?**

**Dad: Probably not on purpose. But you know Grandpa Might!**

**Do I ever! He keeps following me around! **

**They had to kick him out of the classroom four times yesterday!**

**Dad: I'll talk to him. And if that doesn't work, we'll get Grandma.**

Their lunch table of four looked like it was going to become a permanent table of five. When they'd gone to the cafeteria, he'd made sure Haimawari knew he was welcome to join them again. It was good having someone else around who clearly had the same kind of appreciation for Heroes that he and Shota did. Granted, it made more sense for someone like Haimawari to be into them, since he wasn't from a heroic family. Katsumi had frequently pointed out that being such fanboys when their families were already Heroes didn't make that much sense. But neither of Toshi nor Shota cared.

"Anything interesting in Pro Hero news, Shinso?" Izumi asked. Like Toshi, she had seen that their friend was practically vibrating with something to share. Izumi was polite enough to offer him an avenue to let it out.

"Only the coolest!" Shota bubbled. "Red Riot and Real Steel fought Diamondhead!" He pulled out his phone, showing them video of the two Heroes fighting against a Villain who could turn his skin to diamond in a very similar way to how their own Quirks worked. As they watched, they saw the two Heroes both land a punch against Diamonhead that caused a shockwave big enough to shatter all the nearby glass and knock loose objects over.

"The news report said you could feel the impact for miles away!" Shota added

"Oh, man," Haimawari said, "that was one hell of a punch!"

"Yeah," Shota said. "They're both so manly!"

"Shinso," Asuka began, "that was a lot of property damage… Maybe we shouldn't be cheering that."

"But it looked so awesome!"

Toshi shook his head. "Red Riot and Real Steel are good at what they do. They wouldn't have done that if they had another choice. Judging by his Quirk, I don't think anything else would have knocked Diamondhead out."

"Think Kirishima-Bakugo's seen it yet?" Shota asked. "Bet she'd love to see her dad in action! He's all, like, "Pow! Bam! Take that, evil doer, for my manly heart is pure!'"

Toshi had to laugh at that, catching Izumi politely chuckling and even Asuka trying to hide a laugh behind her hand. "Okay, yeah, Uncle Eijiro does kind of talk like that."

Haimawari frowned for a moment. "Keep forgetting you guys are all pretty much family. I can't imagine what it must have been like growing up around that many heroes."

"They're just people," he told him. "If you're only seeing them when they're being Heroes, you're not getting the full picture. That's _part_ of who they are, sure. Some more than others. But that's not all of who they are either."

There were all kinds of things the public didn't get to see. Like the way Dad could cry at the drop of a hat or the way he still geeked out when he talked about working with other Pro Heroes (not that Toshi didn't join him in the geeking out, mind you) or the way Mom obsessively checked their bank account or had their shopping cart total figured out to the penny before they got to the check out, even though financial insecurity was a thing she'd long put behind her.

"Trust me," Asuka said, "my dad's "Darkness" speeches don't work nearly as well when he's telling you to pick up your room."

Toshi knew from experience that Asuka's mother could be far scarier with as single look of disappointment than her father could in full "warrior of the night" mode.

"What do your parents do, Haimawari?" Izumi asked.

Toshi could swear there was the tiniest moment of hesitation before Haimawari answered, but he had to be imagining it. No way this guy had any scary secrets or anything.

"Nothing as cool as yours," he says. "Dad owns a convenience store in Naruhata. Mom's a writer for a _Pop!-Weekly_."

"The music magazine?" Toshi asked. He'd seen Chihiro reading it from time to time. When Haimawari nodded, he added, "That's pretty cool!"

That got the skinny boy laughing a little. "Guess it all depends on your perspective. They're just my parents to me."

"Seriously though," Toshi said. "It is pretty cool. You should tell Chihiro. She'd big into music."

"Sorry," Haimawari replied, "still learning everybody's names. Chihiro is…?"

"The blonde girl with the ear-Quirk," Izumi told him. "Chihiro Kaminari."

"Mineta's friend," Asuka elaborated.

"Ooooh," Haimawari said. "Her. She's got, ah, interesting taste in friends."

"She's not as bad as Mineta," Toshi assured him. "Try and talk to her. Couldn't hurt."

"Yeah, maybe I will."

For their Heroics Class, Mr. Aizawa and his grandfather had taken them to Training Ground Epsilon. Unlike most of the Training Grounds, which were designed to replicate specific kinds of environments, Epsilon was essentially a long open sand field, with an observation bunker at one end. It was a warm day, the sun shining and the sky clear, though their gym uniforms were comfortable enough in it (apparently, the costume department was significantly behind this year). Toshi was honestly a little bit surprised that Mr. Aizawa could stand that much direct sunlight.

"Normally," Grandpa Might said, "we'd start Heroics off with the Battle Trials, pitting Hero against Villain in a death-defying race for control of a bomb which might very well destroy the entire world!"

He waited a moment for a reaction from the class. When no one other than Shinso (who cheered, of course) responded, he looked a little deflated, but he went on. "Unfortunately, due to a… ah, Quirk misfire with Class 1-B, the Training Grounds for that is currently unavailable and undergoing repairs. So we have prepared an alternative exercise."

Okay, Toshi was definitely going to have to pay more attention the other Hero Classes. If someone in 1-B had a Quirk powerful enough to do that kind of damage…!

Grandpa Might went on, "We'll be splitting you into teams of four. Your job will be to defend the Observation Bunker, where the rest of us will be. Your job will be to defend the bunker from waves of robot villains that will be attacking!"

"However," Mr. Aizawa said, "if even one villain makes it to the Bunker, then your team loses, no questions asked. Because it means everyone inside is dead."

Ojiro shot her hand up. "Do we get to pick teams?"

"No."

"As Heroes," Grandpa Might explained, "you'll often find yourself working with other Heroes you've never met before. You'll need to improvise working with a wide variety of Quirks on the fly. This will help with that and help you get acquainted with your classmates' Quirks!"

"And," Aizawa added, "I don't trust any of you to make good decisions about teams. The teams will be as follows. Team One: Midoriya, Aoyama, Sero, and Tensei Iida. Team Two: Kirishima-Bakugo, Shinso, Ojiro, and Mineta. Team Three: Todoroki, Haimawari, Sato, and Sora Iida. And Team Four: Tokoami, Koda, Shoji, and Kaminari."

Okay, he could work with that. Pretty good Quirk spread on his team. Pretty good spread on all four teams, actually. At least Aizawa and Grandpa Might were giving them a fighting chance.

"The hell? You losers better not make me lose!"

…He honestly hadn't expected anything else from Katsumi.

In general, Toshi thought he was pretty good with his Quirk. He could lower his personal gravity until he could bounce off the walls. And with split second timing, he could increase it until he turned into a cannon ball and then bounce back away. He'd sparred with his dad and trained more than a lot of people his age probably had. Being all second generation heroes, they definitely had some advantages going in, though they hadn't all worked together much. This would still be a real test.

He slowly adjusted his gravity, bringing himself back down to the ground.

"What did you see, Toshi?" Tensei asked. While he could actually fly rather than float like Toshi, he was more like a rocket, needing to keep moving, which was not always as ideal for observation.

"Three One-Pointers and two Two-Pointers," he said. "About 50 meters out, coming quick."

Aoyama was glowing in the afternoon son, difficult to even look at directly. Reflective jeweled wristbands likewise glittered in the sun. "Should go out after them? Show them what we're made of?"

"No," Toshi said. "Our mission is to protect the Bunker. We need to stay close to it, but not let them get too close. You and Sero need to hang back. You've both got long range Quirks."

"Aye, aye, Captain Midoriya!" Sero said, tossing off a little salute.

"Are you sure you and Iida don't just want to grab all the glory for yourselves?" Aoyama sneered. "Keeping me on the bench while you get to be the heroes?"

"I don't like your tone, Aoyama," Tensei said. "Toshi is no glory hog!"

"And perhaps I don't like yours!"

Toshi's bad feelings about Aoyama returned. But now was not the place to get into it. "Uh, maybe we should just…"

"_They're here!_" Sero shouted, interrupting any further argument.

And indeed they were, three One-Pointers rolling along on their treads, and a pair of walking Two-Pointers. According to the further explanation Grandpa Might and Mr. Aizawa had provided, the waves would only get stronger. They twenty minutes. Either they held the line that long, or one of the 'bots got through and they lost.

He didn't want to lose, especially not with his grandfather watching. He didn't want it to be this haphazard; he'd wanted some kind of plan. Dad had drilled into him how important having a plan was. Now…

"Let's get 'em, guys!"

Toshi concentrated, bringing his gravity to near zero and took a jump, bouncing up like he had springs under his shoes. It carried him up and over and then at the right moment he increased it three fold. He immediately fell like a stone, crashing into one of the One-Pointers, smashing in its head. Quickly, he switched back to low gravity again, bouncing off and landing on the sand.

Already, the blood was rushing in his head. He couldn't do that kind of rapid switching for too long, not without getting a killer headache.

Around him, the others were tearing into the rest. Tensei had flown through one of the other one pointers like a battering ram, propelled by his jet engines. "As suspected! They still have not fixed the structural flaw! Quite disappointing, but good for our Team!"

Sero was quickly wrapping up the remaining One-Pointer in his Acid Tape, making it as acidic as possible, easily cutting its way through the robot. It was a good combination of his parents' Quirks, really, the ability to create tape like his dad, but with all the different and variable properties of his mom's acid. "Die, evil robot, die! Hey, with a dry, cool wit like that, I could be an action hero!"

And Aoyama… was staring down both Two-Pointers. His glow intensified until it was blinding. "Let's see how these ruffians fair against my _Dazzling Beam Blaster_!" Both of his arms snapped up and his wrist bands flared, each unleashing a powerful golden beam of light that punched holes right through the Two-Pointers. His overall glow was diminished after that, still lending him a bit of a sparkle and getting brighter by the moment, but it was clear he had spent a lot of energy.

He gave himself a small clap. "That's how you do it, boys."

Okay, so Aoyama was powerful. But that didn't mean Toshi had to like working with him.

And then, just like that, a buzzer split the air, signaling failure.

"What? How? We got all of them!" Sero said.

"Probably something you lot did," Aoyama snapped.

"An unseen variable, perhaps?" Tensei mused. "Some x factor I did not anticipate?"

"Uh, guys?" Toshi said, pointing behind them. A One-Pointer was already at the bunker, and others were moving in from the sides.

Mr. Aizawa's voice came over the loudspeaker. "Perhaps next time you'll know to watch for all directions. I expect all the rest of you to have learned something from their failure."

"DO NOT WORRY, YOUNG GRANDSON! FAILURE IS BUT THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS VICTORY! I MEAN, AH, DO NOT WORRY, YOUNG HEROES! YES, I WAS TALKING TO ALL OF YOU!"

…Maybe he'd be better off just floating away. He could get a job as a parade balloon. Anything sounded better than being here right now.


	7. Chapter 6: Isamu Haimawari's Mistake

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 6: Isamu Haimawari and the First Big Mistake**

_He wasn't hurting. In fact, he felt like he was past the point of pain. But he could hear people yelling, screaming. Strange, he could swear he smelled something burning…_

"_Go!" he heard Aizawa yelling. "Get them to Doc Clock!"_

_And it had been going so well…_

Well, if the son of the Number One Hero could mess up on their very first real Heroics exercise, maybe Isamu didn't have to feel so bad about how he was probably going to fail too. All four of the first team had had impressive powers, but they hadn't been watching their backs. Of course, there was the whole thing where they'd been too busy arguing to pay attention to anything.

True, he'd spent long, long hours working on his Quirk with his dad, who'd passed on all kinds of lessons he'd learned from the School of Hard Knocks with Professor Knuckleduster. But he still felt like he couldn't possibly measure up to all the Pro-Hero kids.

Still, he'd done his best to congratulate Midoriya on at least getting to smash one of them. The green haired boy looked pretty down from his failure. He would be too.

After the first group had returned, the second group had set out. The absolutely terrifying Kirishima-Bakugo took the lead, with the other three following her.

She looked around. "Loud Kid," she told Shinso, "you're on lookout. You two, you're with me. And for fuck's sake, look around you!"

There wasn't any arguing this time like there had been with Midoriya's group. Kirishima-Bakugo was simply too frightening for the rest. Ojiro looked the most like she was going to say something (Maybe. You could only read so much body language on a floating gym uniform), but chose otherwise.

The robots were quickly upon them. Kirishima-Bakugo raced out to meet the first one, letting out a scream of "DIE!" as she did so. When she got close enough, she gave it an open-palmed slap on the Two-Pointer's side and seconds later, a massive explosion rocked the robot, destroying it.

"That's how you do it!" she screamed.

"Whoa!" Isamu yelled. He remembered how she'd made the spoons explode like firecrackers in the cafeteria yesterday, but he hadn't know she could do anything like that.

"Yeah," Midoriya agreed. "Her Quirk is pretty powerful. She can release this liquid from her hands that does… something to whatever it touches and makes it explode. The more she lets out, the bigger the boom."

"…Remind me never to make her angry."

"Trust me, Haimawari, when I say 'good luck with that.'"

Kirishima-Bakugo had already destroyed another Two-Pointer, while the rest of her team were making short work of the rest. Ojiro stopped in front of the one of the One-Pointers and then simply… disappeared.

"Wait," Isamu asked. "She can get more invisible?"

"Uh-huh," Midoriya explained. "What she's really doing is bending light. Her skin's always doing it, but she can extend it to anything she's touching, like her clothes."

The One-Pointer suddenly jerked and bucked, like something was trying to climb it, and then its head suddenly disappeared! It stopped completely, staying still on the sand. With the One-Pointer distracted, Mineta gave it a powerful kick with one of her hooves, breaking its leg joint and knocking it down. The robot's head reappeared as Ojiro returned to view, jumping off of it.

"Oh, that's good," Midoriya said. "She made its head invisible so its camera couldn't detect anything! Without visual input, it shut down!"

Mineta was doing a decent job of her own as well, even without team work. She lowered her head, aiming her horns at one of the remaining One-Pointers. From the tip of teach horn, a stream of purple spheres fired forth, starting the size of a pea, but rapidly growing to the size of a baseball. They stuck wherever they hit the robot, jamming its joints and obscuring its vision until it could neither move nor see, at which point she rammed it, knocking out its control panel. She was extremely creepy, but Isamu had to admit, her skills were impressive.

"Hey!" she called out, "if I do well enough, do I get a kiss?"

"I thought I told you to stop hitting on me, horse-legs!"

"Sheesh! You've really got no sense of humor! Besides, maybe I was talking to Ojiro!"

"In your dreams, Mineta!"

The remaining One-Pointer was demolished by a shrieking Kirishima-Bakugo, blowing its treads off with a pair of powerful explosions. "More! Bring 'em on!" she yelled. "Keep fighting, all of you!"

And the second wave was on them. More Two-Pointers this time, but still a few One-Pointers. Like last time, some of these started coming in from the sides.

"From the left!" Shinso called out. As one drew close, he took in a deep breath and then let out a long, low tone. Isamu could see the air between him and the robot ripple and the ripple slammed into the robot, knocking it over as though it had been punched. Shinso kept up the tone until the rippling wave punched a hole in the robot's chest.

That was… that had definitely been a thing. Isamu remembered how Shinso'd made the ground flow like a wave yesterday.

"What," he asked, "what exactly is his Quirk?"

"Beats me," Midoriya said. "They call it Vocal Harmonics. He does a sustained pitch and stuff happens. Different things for different pitches. Nobody's really figured out any logic behind it. Trust me, they've tried. It's not like either of his parents' Quirks."

The others leapt into action too. Kirishima-Bakugo exploding them, with Mineta and Ojiro slowing them down for her and Shinso.

It was in the fourth wave that things started to go south for them. The One-Pointers were gone, Two-Pointers making up the majority of the wave, along with a single giant three-pointer.

It started when the Two-Pointer had Ojiro down, one of its massive arms pinning her to the ground. Her clothes flickered in and out of visibility as she tried to squirm away, but to no avail. "Argh! No fair!"

"I'm coming, Ojiro!" Shinso called out. He took in a breath again and started coughing. All the explosions Kirishima-Bakugo had been setting off had stirred up a massive amount of smoke, smoke he sucked into his lungs. Another Two-Pointer pinned him, face down on the ground.

Kirishima-Bakugo lashed out, heading for the three-pointer, causing explosions along every Two-Pointer between her and it. Mineta fired off more sticky balls from her horns, but panic was throwing her air off, not to mention that the smoke was also interfering with her ability to aim.

Kirishima-Bakugo reached the three-pointer, sliding under its reach and tapping its arm. But she was also clearly running out of whatever liquid she generated to make things explode, because the explosion she created was clearly much less powerful than she had expected. She stared at her hands like they had betrayed her.

And then the failure buzzer sounded, as the three-pointer had reached the bunker.

"Well, you lasted longer than the first team," Aizawa said, his voice ringing from the loudspeakers. "We'll review everything tomorrow. For now, get back to the Bunker. We'll let the smoke clear out before Team Three goes."

"Good job, Team!" All Might said. "Though you might want to learn to take it easy, Young Kirishima-Bakugo! There's a time for going all out and a time for caution!"

The robots released Shinso and Ojiro, the former of whom offered Kirishima-Bakugo a hand up, but she batted it away, getting up on her own and stomping towards the Bunker, her face set in a deep scowl.

Isamu finally remembered to close his jaw. If his team lasted any time at all… it was going to get _intense_ out there. He was pretty sure his Quirk wasn't going to be any good for smashing robots, but maybe he could be a distraction for some of the others? Or get a couple of the robots to smash each other?

Midoriya gave him an encouraging grin. "Hey, you're up next! You're gonna do great, I know it."

He returned the grin, maybe a little sheepishly. "Maybe. Gotta try, anyway."

Okay, deep breaths. He could do this.

When the smoke had cleared, Team Three was finally able to step outside the Bunker. "So," Isamu said, "how do we want to do this?"

They'd already seen the first two teams. They definitely wouldn't devolve into in-fighting like the first group, but hopefully they wouldn't mess up the battlefield like the second either.

"I'll guard the rear," Sato volunteered. "My Quirk's no good unless they get real close." Isamu remembered catching sight of him a few times during the Entrance Exam, tearing into a robot with his teeth. It wasn't something he was going to forget anytime soon.

"Good," Todoroki said. "Sora, Haimawari, you both have mobility-based Quirks. Do you think you can control the left and right edges?"

"I'll give it my best," he assured her. Hopefully that would be enough.

"Just leave the driving to me!" Iida said.

Todoroki nodded. "Then I will do my best to hold the middle. Remember to support each other when you can, and try not to make too much of a mess." Her lips twitched slightly when she said the last part. A smile, maybe? Isamu didn't know her well enough to know.

Really, Todoroki was quite the puzzle. There was the strange power she seemed to have over the ginormously scary Kirishima-Bakugo. And Torodoki herself was so reserved, quiet, but firm. It was hard to know what to think of her.

And then the first wave of robots was upon them, the same mix as the other two times. Two Two-Pointers, three One-Pointers. Iida went right, so he dropped to the ground and went left, his Quirk pushing him along like a bullet shot from a gun. Maybe a little too fast; he was coming up on the One-Pointer faster than he expected.

He didn't have nearly the power to go with his speed to ram his way through it like he'd seen Tensei Iida do in the first round… but maybe he had some skills the flying teen didn't! Instead of trying to dodge, he kept going and when he got close to the One-Pointer, he jumped _on_ the robot and kept going, sliding over it as easily as he had over the ground. The nearest other One-Pointer took a swing at him and he added an extra burst of speed, carrying him over the robot's shoulder and down his back. The second One-Pointer's blow hammered home on the first, smashing a hole in it and bring it down, giving him just enough time to hit the dirt and slide away.

He skidded to a stop. "I… I did it!" He'd managed it a couple times during the Entrance Exam, but he really hadn't been sure he could do it again.

"Good job, Haimawari!" Todoroki cheered. "But keep alert!'

A Two-Pointer was nearly upon her, but she pointed a pale hand at it and frost began to appear along its surface, until its skin was frozen solid and it started to crack under its own weight. Todoroki grimaced with the exertion of it, her pale features flushing. She pointed at one of the One-Pointers, this time unleashing a blast of flame that quickly took it down. As she stopped the flames, her condition improved.

Weird, actually. Every time he'd seen her make ice, she made fire right after. He didn't know what that meant.

But he needed his head back in the game. He saw Iida taking down the last one pointer, her jet engines giving her more than enough power to knock its head clean off.

"One more Two-Pointer," Isamu called out. "Heading towards Sato!" The thick-lipped boy took up a defensive stance, but he wouldn't last long against that.

Isamu threw himself forward and saw Sora Iida keeping pace with him. "There's a design flaw," she told him. "Lots of them, actually. But the leg joints are especially weak. If we both hit it at the same time in a different leg, we should be able to take it down."

"Got it!" he said, squinting against the dust their speed was kicking up. He was definitely going to need goggles and a mask if he was going to keep doing this kind of thing.

He concentrated, pouring on the speed, kicking himself into a higher gear. Iida kept pace, both of them racing to towards the robot. Sato, to his credit, held his ground, bearing his teeth at the machine. He and Iida reached the robot at the same time, both of them striking a leg joint. The joints buckled and the robot toppled over. Sato pounced on it, opening his jaw wider than Isamu would have thought possible, taking a huge bite out of its head.

"Blegh," Sato said. "It's stale!"

Yeah, he wasn't going to ask any follow up question about that.

And there wasn't any time. The next wave was already starting.

By the fourth wave, they were running out of steam. Iida was down, having run out of fuel from overusing her Jetpack. Sato was curled up on a ball, his belly bloated, moaning.

Todoroki looked dead on her feet, and even Isamu was exhausted. This was the longest and hardest he'd ever pushed his Quirk continuously. At least during the Entrance Exam, he'd had spurts where he could rest, catch his breath for a moment.

"You okay?" he asked Todoroki, as the next wave came towards them.

"No," she said. "I do not think I can keep fighting much longer." A hard, determined look set itself on her face. "But I will go down fighting."

She brought up both hands and Isamu could _feel_ the temperature dropping. A massive block of ice incased every last robot in the fourth wave, two and three-pointers alike.

"Whoa," he breathed.

Quickly, however, he noticed that Todoroki had gone even paler. Her knees buckled and she began to fall.

He found himself moving before he could even think. Even as he heard someone yelling, telling him no…

Too late, he remembered about the flames. As he caught Todoroki before she could fall, her body erupted in flames and his world turned to pain.

He sprung up with a gasp, only to find he was no longer on the battlefield. Instead, he seemed to be in… a hospital bed? He had to be in the Medical Building. How was that possible? He'd taken a blast of fire hot enough to melt steel to the face and also pretty much every other part of his body. Isamu was pretty sure that he should be dead, or at the very least, severely burned. But his hands were unblemished and as he felt his face, he realized that was too.

"What?"

"You're awake," a voice said, as he heard the curtain around the bed part. "Good. You gave us all quite a fright when you were brought in."

At the foot of the bed, he saw a woman in thirties, wearing a white doctor's coat over a black and purple costume with a clock insignia on her chest. She had blue-white hair down to her shoulders, but what was most noticeable was the horn growing from her head.

"How…?" he began.

"Are you not dead? Or at least not more severely injured? That would be my doing."

"I thought I heard someone say something about a… Doc Clock? Is that you?"

The woman smiled. "I never did like that name very much. A friend of mine called me that when I was a student here and it stuck. I am Doctor Eri Izumi."

"Ah, nice to meet you, Doc," he said. "And… thanks. You must have one hell of a healing Quirk."

She shook her head. "Not in the way you would think. I can rewind living matter back in time. It's best if I have an idea of exactly how long. I may have been slightly generous in my estimate with you. But on the plus side, you're now about thirty minutes younger than you used to be."

Well, that was a new one. He was just going to add it to the list of things he wasn't going to think about right now.

"Are you feeling up to visitors? A few of your friends are waiting on you."

He nodded and she turned to a very elderly woman that he now noticed was napping in an electronic wheelchair at a nearby desk. "Recovery Girl!"

The old woman's eyes snapped open. "Just resting my eyes!"

"Of course you were," Doctor Izumi assured her. "Do you think you could go get Haimawari's friends?"

The old woman smiled. "Of course, dearie. Just leave it to me!" She threw the wheelchair into motion, nearly clipping a wall on her way.

Realization hit him. "Todoroki! Is she okay?!"

Doctor Izumi nodded. "She's fine, just resting like you. It was a brave thing you did. Or as my father called it, "A damn fool heroic stunt." That's practically high praise from him. I've told him to have you take it easy for a few days though. Rewinding can be stressful on the body."

Wait. What? She couldn't have been talking about All Might, so she had to mean…

He was going to file that under things he wasn't going to think about too.

"_What do you mean I can't see Izzy, you shriveled old crone!"_

"_Who're you calling shriveled, you whipper-snapper! Why, when I was your age, I knew how to talk to my elders!"_

"_That was my foot you just ran over, you senile old biddy!"_

"_Young Kirishima-Bakugo…!"_

"_Katsumi, please…!"_

Eventually, the noise died down and Recovery Girl brought Midoriya, Shinso, and Tokoyami, along with All Might. The former Number One Hero, here to see him. His heart was suddenly pounding in his chest.

"Young Haimawari!" All Might beamed. "Quite the display of heroics out there! Though I really would ask that you not do anything like that again! This old heart of mine isn't as good as it used to be."

"Oh, really?" Doctor Izumi asked him. "Did I not do a good enough job the first time?"

"What? I, Eri! You see…"

"Relax," she told him. "I'm just teasing you."

"Oh, of course…"

Doctor Izumi chuckled and shook her head. "Just a few minutes, now, all of you. Haimawari needs his rest."

As his new friends gathered around his bed, Isamu thought he might actually be doing all right after all.


	8. Chapter Seven: Izumi Todoroki's Amends

**Their Hero Academia - Chapter Seven: Izumi Todoroki and Trying to Make Amends**

"_Mama! Daddy! Look! Ice! Ice!" She had been so happy the day her Quirk had come in, showing off her power to her parents by making ice cubes._

"_Oh, how wonderful, darling!" her mother had said._

"_That's good," her father had said, smiling. He smiled so rarely, always seemed so lost in thought, but he always smiled for her and her mother._

_And then she had started feeling warm. Too warm. "Ow! Hot! Hot!" And little flames danced from her hand…_

Under normal circumstances, Izumu would have been glad to see her parents. But these were hardly normal circumstances. Not when she was lying in a bed in U.A.'s Medical Building. Not after what had happened on the Training Ground. She had pushed herself too hard and had collapsed during training. That too, would be cause for concern, but not as much as she was facing now. If she'd had more endurance… maybe she wouldn't have collapsed.

Maybe she wouldn't have injured Haimawari. Her memory of the event was fuzzy, but she knew she had seen him racing towards her as she had collapsed. He would have been at ground zero when she had ignited.

Mr. Aizawa had been direct, but not unkind, when he had told her what had happened. She had badly injured the young man, burns over most of his body. If it had not been for Doctor Izumi (He was injured by one Izumi, saved by another. The irony was not lost on her), he very likely would have died. And only the doctor's unique Quirk had saved him from a lifetime of permanent injuries.

He had told her, had not tried to tell her that she should not feel guilty. Instead, he had told her to use that guilt to motivate herself, to make sure it never happened again. She would.

She should never have tried to absorb that much heat at once. Unlike her father, she couldn't just lower the temperature to make ice. She absorbed the heat into herself. And that had to go somewhere, manifesting as flames. She could hold it in for a little while, but the amount of heat she'd absorbed, coupled with having already reached the limits of her endurance during the training exercise, had overwhelmed her. And when she had passed out, all of it had come racing out at once.

"We'll just bring you home for a few days," her mother said, "so you can recuperate properly. You'll be feeling fine in no time." Momo Yaoyorozu, the hero called Creati, was still a highly attractive woman, even entering her forties. She had traded the ponytail and wide made of hair of her youth for a sharper, shorter cut, and carried herself with the grace and wisdom Izumi had always known her to possess.

She hadn't wanted her parents called in at all. Students got hurt all the time during training at U.A. It was to be expected, given the intensity of their training and the many ways in which Quirks could go awry. They had a fine medical staff, even beyond Doctor Izumi. And students pushing themselves too hard were nothing new either.

But it had been a fight to even allow her parents to let her attend U.A. in the first place. Her mother in particular had been extremely against it, worried over her health. They had settled on a compromise, one suggested by her father. She would be allowed to attend, but they were to be called if anything disastrous went wrong with her health. And pushing herself to exhaustion definitely counted for that.

"I do not wish to return home," she said, looking to her father for support.

"You collapsed, Izumi," he said. Shoto Torodoki's hair was a little less shaggy, no longer hiding the scar on his face. He had long ago accepted it, wore is as a badge to remind the world what her grandfather, the disgraced and fallen former Pro Hero Endeavor, had done to him and his family.

He looked over to her mother, then back to her. "We need to look out for your health. If you push yourself too hard…"

She could make her already fragile state even worse. "But if I do not push myself," she said, "I will not improve. The only way to surpass my limitations is to push them."

"We're not asking you to drop out," her mother said. Concern lined her face. Izumi was her parents' only daughter. Her mother's pregnancy had been a hard one and combined with Izumi's own health issues, it had made the prospect of other children daunting. So all their worries were invested in her. "Just to take a few days off from more intensive training. You can keep up on your regular studies still."

It sounded perfectly reasonable. She understood her parents, understood their caution and worry. But she also knew how they worried and how they would draw new ideas with her home again. It would be a very short journey from coming home for a few days to staying longer to not returning to U.A. at all. The arguments would be logical and well-reasoned. And if she was forced to endure them, she could see her resistance wearing down.

Which was why it could not be allowed to happen.

"Doctor Izumi already recommended the same to Mr. Aizawa," Izumi said firmly. "So I am already excused from active Heroics training for the next week. Here or home changes nothing about it. So I would prefer to stay here."

In spite of the seriousness of the situation, her father let out a small laugh. "Such a stubborn girl," he said.

Her parents exchanged a glance and as one, both said to the other, "She gets that from you." This, in turn, prompted them both to laugh. Her father's short and sharp, her mother's longer, fuller.

"My health is always my concern," Izumi went on. "I am aware I cannot last as long, run as fast, or work as hard as some of the others. But I am where I want to be. I want to be as good a hero as either of you. And I cannot do that if you treat me like a fragile flower."

Her life had revolved around her health for as long as she could remember. Long doctor visits, the best specialists an absurdly considerable fortune could buy, enough medications to fill a large truck. Constant reminders that she just couldn't keep up with her friends. And even the bullying that Katsumi had protected her from. But she truly was getting better. Getting stronger. Even months ago, she wouldn't have been able to absorb that much heat fully rested, let alone exhausted. That had to be proof of something.

She took in a breath. "Please."

Her mother looked like she was going to disagree, but finally managed a nod. "All right," she said. "But I want you to have a visit with your regular doctor. Doctor Izumi has my utmost respect, but her primary training is emergency medicine."

"Probably as good a deal as you're going to get, Izumi," her father said.

That was… better than she could have hoped. She unclenched a hand she didn't realize she'd been clenching.

"I can agree to that," she said finally. "Thank you."

"_Get back here, you hooligan!"_

"_Screw you, old woman!"_

There was the sound of running in the hallway, until Katsumi appeared where the curtains parted, frantically looking behind her. "Crazy old lady didn't think I could jump over her, but I showed her. Got halfway down the hall before she could even get turned around!"

She seemed to realize that it wasn't just Izumi in the room and had the self-awareness to look slightly sheepish.

"Ah, hello, Mr. Todoroki, Mrs. Yaoyorozu."

Her eyes widened, then narrowed with anger as she drew her own conclusions. She dropped into a fighting stance. "You're not taking Izzy! You can't! I'll… I'll fight you! You'll have to go through me first!"

She really didn't mean to—Katsumi looked so serious—but Izumi actually burst out laughing. Her parents just looked confused, looking back and forth between the two girls.

"Katsumi," she said. "That was never an option under serious consideration." Not the whole truth, but it would prevent Katsumi from getting angrier. "And we have reached a further agreement to allow me to stay.

"But thank you for your support."

"Oh," Katsumi said, deflating slightly. If she knew Katsumi—and she did—her friend had probably been looking forward to a fight. "Well… good."

A shriveled hand suddenly gripped Katsumi's wrist. "Got you!" Recovery Girl said. "And I told you, no more visitors!"

The ancient Hero used her free hand to put her wheelchair into reverse, dragging Katsumi with her.

"Hey! Let go of me, you crone! You can't do this! I've got rights!"

When they were both gone, her parents both looked over to her, incredulous. Izumi just shrugged. "Katsumi is always watching out for me," she explained.

There was another shared glance between the two of them, the meaning of which she did not fully grasp. In point of fact, her father's expression was quite confused, while her mother seemed to be trying to communicate something she couldn't even guess at.

"I see Bakugo and Kirishima's daughter is the same as ever," her father said.

"Your… friend is quite devoted," her mother observed.

"She is," Izumi agreed. "I am quite lucky."

Once she was back at the dorms, Izumi sought out Asuka Tokoyami. She could have gone to any of her closest circle of friends about this, but what she needed right now was the kind of bluntness only the bird-headed girl could provide. Toshi would try to soften the blow, Shota would inevitably get derailed into telling her how awesome she'd been prior to that fateful moment, and she simply did not have the energy to navigate a conversation with either of the Iida twins. So she needed someone who would tell it to her like it was. She just counted herself fortunate enough to have made her way back without having run into Haimawari. That was another good reason to avoid Toshi or Shota as sources of advice. They shared a floor with Haimawari.

She found Asuka in her room, the door open. Her friend's room was tastefully decorated, with bright, floral prints on the walls. Asuka was at her desk, where she was typing on a green computer, the monitor of which was shaped like a frog's head. "Asuka?" she asked. "May I come in? I need to talk to you."

Her friend stopped typing and looked to the doorway. "Sure," she said. "Come on in."

"Thank you," Izumi said as she stepped inside. Asuka gave a slight nod to the spare chair in the room and she took a seat.

"How're you feeling?" Asuka asked.

"Well enough," she replied. "I am on several restrictions as far as Heroics go for a time, and I must see my doctor, but I am being allowed to stay. How is Haimawari?"

"Physically fine. Doc Clock fixed him up. We brought him back as soon as she cleared him to leave. Toshi and Shota got him to bed."

"And mentally?"

"Harder to say. He was more concerned about how you were. But he _did_ almost die. Who knows how he'll handle it when he gets time to process it."

Not exactly what she had wanted to hear, but also exactly why she had come to Asuka in the first place. Bad enough that she had potentially damaged her own career, but if she had waylaid someone else's as well…

"I would not know how to begin to apologize to him," Izumi said. "A simple "I'm sorry" does not seem sufficient for setting someone on fire."

"Probably not," Asuka agreed. She placed a finger on her face, near her beak. "But you should still try. I'm sure he knows you didn't mean to do it."

"Would… would some kind of apology gift be appropriate?" Perhaps that was it? Certainly, money was no object in that regard.

Asuka shook her head. "Definitely not. Don't make it look like you're trying to buy his forgiveness."

There was a brief flash as Frog Shadow appeared, manifesting over Asuka's shoulder. "But if you're throwing money around, we could use a new phone."

"_Really_?" Asuka asked her familiar.

Frog-Shadow just shrugged. "Your phone's boring. No games!"

Green-feathers ruffled with irritation. "I can't take you anywhere."

"You never go anywhere fun, anyway!"

Izumi got the feeling she was now intruding on something rather personal. "I, ah, I shall leave you to your discussion, Asuka. Thank you for your honesty."

Izumi stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind her to give Asuka and Frog Shadow their privacy. She had known the bird-headed girl nearly all her life and considered her one of her closest friends, but she still could not even begin to understand the relationship between the girl and her Quirk. Granted, there was much about most of her classmates and friends she did not understand.

Chihiro Kaminari was outside her dorm room, sitting on the floor, occasionally looking down at a text book or scribbling something on a piece of paper. She looked up. "Get the advice you're looking for?" she asked.

Izumi raised an eyebrow at that. "How did you…?"

"I'm not _that_ dumb, Todoroki. I was there and I saw what happened to Haimawari. And you're probably one of the kindest people any of us knows. So yeah, you're probably worried about what to do next. And everybody knows Tokoyami won't sugarcoat anything."

"I hurt him, Kaminari. I am not sure how you walk back from that."

Kaminari shrugged, but it wasn't a dismissive one, as far as Izumi could determine. She brought up both of her Extension Cords, sparks dancing from the tips, then pressed the double-prongs of each together, setting off a spark that set her twitching for a moment, before she pulled them apart.

"You and me, we're not that different," Kaminari said. "Your flames got out of hand, I can electrocute somebody or fry my own brain if I'm not paying attention. See, I did that on purpose just now, but it doesn't take much to set off a spark if I'm not careful. All our Quirks can be dangerous if we're not careful. Yours, mine, even Shoji's."

Her right Cord pointed at Izumi. "The real important thing is learning and not letting it happen again. We all came here knowing it was going to be a rough road and we might get hurt. Just gotta make sure it's never the same way twice."

Izumi nodded. The demonstration may have been a bit much, but she understood the point. "I… Thank you, Kaminari. I shall keep that in mind."

The sound of hooves cut off any further discussion, as Mineta ran down the hall and into her room. The door reopened for a moment and she stuck her head out. "If anyone asked, I was here all night!" The door closed again.

Kaminari stared at the closed door for a moment. "You might want to get gone before whoever Mika was running from gets here. It's probably going to get loud."

Yes, she was never going to completely understand all of her classmates. But she especially was never going to understand Mineta.

It was not until the next morning that she was able to speak to Haimawari. Though exhausted by the day, she had slept poorly, replaying the events of the previous day over and over in her mind, trying to figure out what she should have done differently and what she could say now.

She let him eat breakfast with Shota and Asuka, eating hers instead with the Iida twins. They were too distracted with sketching something to bring up the events of yesterday. It brought her a little respite, at least.

Finally, though, she had to approach Haimawari and the others. "May I," she began, finding her voice faltering. He did not flinch from her, but seemed slightly uneasy in her presence. That… that had to be something. Something she could hold onto, build up from. "May I speak to you, Haimawari, privately?"

"Come on, Shota," Asuka said, rising. "I'll help you with that homework problem before class."

"What homework…." Shota began, until comprehension dawned on his face. "Right. Homework. Gotta go. See you in class!"

She would have to thank Asuka for that later.

It left the two of them alone. Everyone else in the Common Room was busy enough. Everyone had seen what had happened. They would likely not be disturbed. Even if Haimawari looked like he would rather be anywhere else. "Ah… sure," he said. "We can talk."

She took the seat opposite him and took a deep breath. "I'm told you tried to save me yesterday. Thank you."

At this, he did smile. "Just doing what heroes do. Felt like I was moving before I could think."

Izumi nodded. "I'm told many of us have had a moment like that."

The silence hung before them like an uncomfortable cloud.

"I hurt you," she said when she could bear the silence no more. "Badly. You could have died because I pushed myself beyond my limits. Because I was not strong enough to control or contain my Quirk."

He looked down at the table and folded his hands in front of him. "I definitely didn't think I'd come that close to dying on my second day," Haimawari said after a moment. "But I'd do it again. Even when I caught on fire, all I could think was "at least I went out doing the right thing.'"

"I am sorry," Izumi said. "You should never have been put in that position. Never should have had to face that."

"Isn't that why we're all here?" he asked. "Because we can't help racing into danger? You don't have to apologize to me, Todoroki."

"I must," she said, now looking down herself. She realized she was crying. "If anything more sever had happened… If Doctor Izumi had not been able to… I do not know what I could have done."

He reached across the table and took her hand. "P—p—please," he said. "Don't cry. I said you don't have to apologize to me, and I meant it. But if it means that much to you, I accept your apology. And I forgive you."

She looked up. He was smiling and there was not a hint of malice or fear in his eyes. "I was afraid you would hate me," she said. "Or fear that I might hurt you again."

"Don't really have it in me to hate people," he said. "Got plenty of room for friends, more than I'd like for fear, but no fear for my friends. I've got plenty of doubts all on my own. Like what I'll do when my back's to the wall."

"I would guess you'll probably rush in and try to do the right thing again."

He laughed. "Yeah, you're probably right."

"So," she ventured. "We are… all right? Things are "good" between us?" Why did people have to be so complicated?

"We're good, Todoroki," he said.

"After everything," she said, "I must insist that you call me Izumi. It only seems right."

"Only if you call me Isamu."

"It is a deal."

"_See, Izumi?" her father said. "You just have to make sure you let the fire out. Careful where you put it though."_

"_I know, Daddy! I know!"_

"_Just keep it balanced," her mother had told her. "And you'll do just fine."_

"_We know you'll make us proud."_


	9. Chapter 8: Katsumi Womans Up

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter Eight: Katsumi Kirishima-Bakugo and the Need to Woman Up**

Katsumi's fists pounded into the heavy bag hanging from her ceiling, letting her vent her anger and frustration. At least, that was the theory. As of right now, it didn't seem to be doing her much good. The events of the previous day kept playing over in her mind.

It had been one shit show after another. First, her team had fallen in the fourth round. She'd exhausted her reserves and run out of explosive power and the rest of her team had let her down to boot. Some people might have said that lasting four rounds was good. But not her. She was aiming for the finish line.

And then Izzy… She'd always known Izzy was powerful. But she hadn't realized just how powerful she was. That girl truly was silk hiding steel. Even if she'd pushed herself too far. But Katsumi did the same thing. She could hardly blame Izzy for that. Even if her heart had seized up in her chest when Izzy went down.

In some dumb way, she was grateful to the Newb. If he hadn't caught Izzy… Dumb Newb had damn near gotten himself killed for it though. Maybe she really could ease up on him. A little. She had a reputation to uphold.

But her thoughts lingered longest on what she'd said in front of Izzy's parents. She'd threatened to fight two Pro Heroes, one of them the Number Three Hero. She'd threatened to fight them for Izzy, to keep them from taking her away. Who knows what she would have done if that withered old crone hadn't dragged her off?

Well, Dad probably would have laughed and encouraged her. Though they were generally on all right terms, he did still have something of an antagonistic friendship with Izzy's dad. So that was something. Papa on the other hand… He probably would have been disappointed in her. Sticking up for your friend was Wo-Manly. But threatening her parents definitely was not.

"You are a mess, girl," she told herself, pausing to catch her breath. "And you've got it bad."

There was a series of knocks at her door. Three short taps, one hard tap, a pause, then two more hard taps. _Go Beyond! Plus…ULTRA!_

Katsumi shook her head. "What do you want, Toshi?"

"Can I come in?"

"Before I answer that, do you have Loud Kid with you? Because I cannot deal with him before I've had coffee."

"Shota's having breakfast with Asuka and Haimawari."

"Then you can come in."

Toshi slid the door open awkwardly, as he was carrying a pair of coffees and a pair of those Pro Hero branded power bars he liked so much. "Thought you might like some breakfast," he said, offering her one of each.

She eyed the coffee mug suspiciously. "What kind of coffee is that?"

"It's coffee-flavored coffee. Black, no sugar." Toshi made what she was guessing he thought was an imitation of her signature scowl. "_**Like my heart**_."

She gave him a blank look. "Was that supposed to be me?"

His eyes went wide. "Ah… that depends on whether or not you liked it?"

Toshi could be annoying sometimes, but he did know how to make her laugh. And whether she liked it or not, he was always looking out for her. For all of them. Even if they didn't want or need it. She took the coffee mug and gave him an affectionate punch in the arm, nearly causing him to spill his own coffee. "You're all right, Toshi," she said. "Thanks."

She accepted the offered power bar and took a bite out of it. "So what're you really doing here?"

"Why do you assume I have an ulterior motive?"

"Because you only bring me food and coffee when you wanna talk."

"Well, you do get kind of hangry…"

She rolled her eyes. "Out with it, Toshi."

"Just checking up on you," he said. "After everything that happened yesterday, I was worried about you."

Her pride flared. Who did he think she was? Some kid who needed a babysitter? She wasn't somebody who needed looking out for, like Loud Kid. "I'm a big girl," she said.

"I know that," he said. "But yesterday… yesterday as rough."

Sometimes, Toshi had a real talent for understatement.

"I mean, you and me, we know the risks. Our parents are Pro Heroes. We've seen them get hurt sometimes. Sometimes badly."

That was true. Dad got hurt all the time, mostly minor scrapes, cuts, and bruises. But she was still haunted sometimes by a memory from years ago, when Papa had been badly beaten by a Villain named Strongarm. She remembered seeing him broken and bandaged in that hospital bed, she remembered hanging onto Dad. It was one of the only times she could remember seeing him cry…

"You don't have to remind me," she said. "I know getting hurt's a possibility."

"You know _you_ getting hurt is a possibility."

She paused, coffee cup halfway to her mouth. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"I saw you, when we were watching Izumi's group…" He trailed off, as she began to glare at him. "I didn't mean to! But you were getting kind of loud and everything! But, every time Izumi nearly got hit or had to dodge or when she collapsed… I saw your face."

"Probably the same kind of face you were making," she snapped. "It's _Izzy_. We all care about her."

"Yeah, we do," Toshi agreed. "And maybe I'm not a really great judge about this… but maybe you care about her as more than just a friend."

She had him pressed up against the wall, one hand on his neck, before she knew what she was doing. Both coffee cups had clattered to the floor, spilling their contents on the carpet. "The hell did you just say, Toshi?!"

His eyes were widening as he struggled against her grip. "Can't… can't… breathe… Katsumi…"

With a growl, she let him go. "I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have said…"

"Is it _that_ obvious?" she asked. Did the whole freaking school know? How the hell was she supposed to make people quake in fear of her if everyone knew she was soft over somebody? …Did Izzy know?

Toshi shook his head. "I don't think so. I mean, I haven't talked to everybody about it, but Asuka noticed it even earlier than I did. But I don't think most of them know. Shota definitely doesn't. And we're not going to tell him."

Okay, that all added up. And she could definitely cross Ojiro off the list of people who knew. If the invisible teen knew, the entire school would have known. People in America would have known. Theoretical evil twins from an alternate universe would have known. No gossip was safe from invisible lips.

She jabbed a finger in Toshi's direction. "You tell _no one_ about this."

Toshi backed away from her finger, up against the wall again. "Is this… is this because you like girls?" he asked. "Because we're all okay with that. Sero's gay too, you know…"

"It's not that, you idiot!" She threw her hands up in frustration. "First off, I like guys _and_ I like girls! And that's still not the point! It's… it's an Izzy thing. I don't know if she'd feel that way about me. I don't know what a girl like her would even want with a girl like me."

Toshi held up his hands. "I don't know what to tell you, Katsumi. I really don't. But I think you're going to have to do something. You can't just keep circling like that."

He offered her a smile. "What I do know is you're a pretty amazing person. And you and Izumi have been friends a long time. That's not going to change, no matter what else happens. And I'm your friend too."

"…I really hate it when you make sense."

The silence hung over the room for a moment. "This isn't the part where we hug, Toshi. Get outta here."

He laughed as he exited her room. "Okay, Katsumi. I'm… I'm rooting for you."

When she stepped into the Common Room, Katsumi was a woman on a mission. She was going to find Izzy and she was going to talk to her. An actual talk, with words and everything. The kind of mushy, touch-feely talk Dad derided and tried to substitute grunts for and the kind that Papa was so good at.

Step One: locate Izzy.

Actually, Step One turned about to be: Dodge the Chaos.

"You take that back, Frenchie!" Mineta snapped at Aoyama.

"I just call them like I see them, _Chéri_." the blonde snapped back. "You prance around here, trying to seduce everything with a pulse. You know what that makes you."

"Okay, _that's it_!"

"Bring it!"

What happened next… couldn't exactly be called a fight. Not with both of them just standing at arms' length, flailing their arms and slapping them hands against each other.

And then some of the others started cheering them on. Sero was recording the whole thing on his phone, Ojiro was cheering on Aoyama, Kaminari was cheering on Mineta, and the Iida Twins were yelling at everyone that fighting would not be tolerated…

Yep, she just sidestepped that whole thing, passing by Koda, who was watching the whole thing rather helplessly.

There. Izzy was at one of the tables… with the Newb.

Great. Just great.

Maybe she could try the whole "being nicer" thing?

Yep. She was going to walk over there and ask to talk to Izzy. She wasn't even going to threaten the Newb into moving. She was going to put on her friendliest face, go over there, and talk to Izzy.

So why weren't her legs working?

She was Katsumi Kirishima-Bakugo, the Wo-Manliest Hero-in-Training in the whole school, daughter of two of Manliest and most awesome heroes on the planet. She didn't back down from anything. Not from a fight, not from a challenge, and definitely not from a girl she'd had a crush on since she was eight.

One foot in front of the other. She could do this.

So why… was the Newb… holding her hand? And grinning like an idiot? And Izzy was smiling too…

She ran.

_Izzy was back in school finally, having been gone for a long time because she'd been so sick. She'd ended up in the same class as Katsumi._

_There'd been three of them. She didn't remember their names. She just remembered what they'd done. _

_She'd fallen on the playground, while they were running, playing tag. She wasn't as fast as anyone else, panting and out of breath._

"_Why don't you just stay down?" one girl had sneered, all three of her eyes cold and cruel._

"_Nobody wants to play with a sick kid like you!" another had taunted, her spiked tail swinging behind her._

"_Can't believe somebody like her has Hero parents!" a third had said. "They must be so embarrassed!"_

"_**All of you, shut up**__! __**Leave her alone!**__" She'd picked up a handful of rocks, letting her explosive power seep into them. She wasn't supposed to use her Quirk while at school or on the playground, but they just made her so mad…! She threw the rocks, where they exploded at the mean girls' feet, all bang and no flame, but more than enough to scare them off._

"_Fine!" the three-eyed girl had snapped. "You want her, you can have her!"_

_She offered Izzy a hand-up. "It's okay," Katsumi had said. "I'm here._

_Slowly, Izzy's sobs stopped. "Thank you," she'd said. "I didn't… I didn't know they'd be so mean."_

"_Don't worry, Izzy," she'd said. "Anything happens, I'll exploderize them!"_

_Izzy had pressed her hands to her face. "I… I wouldn't want anybody to get hurt…"_

"_Aaaw, maybe I can just exploderize them a little?"_

"_Maybe just a little, Katsumi."_

"_Don't worry," she told Izzy again. "I'll take care of you."_

_And Izzy was hugging her and she had never felt more like a Hero than she had right then._

Katsumi hadn't gotten far, just under one of the trees in the courtyard. She wasn't going to cry. She was not going to cry. She was Katsumi Kirishima-Bakugo, and she definitely did not just go crying over anything.

She was… she was happy for Izzy. Yes. Izzy absolutely deserved all the happiness in the world. She couldn't be mad at her for finding happiness…

"ARGH!" She let out a scream, releasing some of the rage she felt burning up inside her. Katsumi was well aware that she had what some might call "anger issues." And sometimes, yeah, she let it out at the wrong times. Usually when someone pissed her off or did something stupid. But she had rarely been as angry as she was right now. Angry at the unfairness of it all, angry at missed chances, angry at herself for waiting so long.

She needed something to punch, something to explode. But no targets presented themselves. And she was smart enough not to just unleash random property damage. She didn't need the headache or the detention that would come with that.

Problems she could punch were so much easier to solve.

"Katsumi."

She looked up and blinked rapidly, because she had to be dreaming. It was Izzy. But why would Izzy be out here?

"Katsumi," Izzy repeated. "In all the time I have known you, I have _never_ seen you run like that. What's wrong?"

Words left her mouth before she had the chance to stop them. "You came running after me? You break up with your new boyfriend already?"

Confusion worked its way across Izzy's face. "My… what?"

She struggled to remember the Newb's actual name. "Haimawari. I saw the two of you. I'm… I'm happy for you. Much as I hate to admit it… he seems like the Hero-type. And you deserve the best, Izzy."

"Katsumi," Izzy said, still looking very confused, "Haimawari is my friend. That is all. I don't know what would lead you to believe otherwise."

"I _saw_ the two of you! Smiling, holding hands…"

"Ah." Izumi nodded. "We were just speaking to each other. I apologized for setting him on fire."

Only Izzy could have delivered a statement like that.

"He forgave me," she went on. "I was… grateful for that. I was so ashamed of what I had done to him… I feared he might hate me."

No one could hate Izzy, that much, Katsumi was certain of.

"So you don't… like him, like that?" Katsumi prompted. "You're just friends?'

"Just friends," Izzy assured her.

Relief washed over Katsumi like a wave, quieting some of the flames of rage within her. Those flames were quickly replaced by icy, cold dread gripping its way around her heart. Izzy might not have been involved with the Newb… but she still seemed blind to how she felt about her.

"I am sorry if I upset you somehow," Izzy told her. "I know… I am not always good at knowing how other people will react. But I truly do not understand why it would upset you so."

Katsumi looked away, the words dying in her throat for once, instead of escaping before she could consider them. How could she tell Izzy how she felt? What if she didn't feel the same way?

"Katsumi. Please. Talk to me."

It was now or never. Time to Woman Up.

"I'm in love with you, Izzy. Been in love with you for a long time."

And then the dormitory exploded.


	10. Chapter 9: Toshi Midoriya Tastes Victory

**Their Hero Academia –Chapter Nine: Toshi Midoriya and the Taste of Victory**

One minute, Toshi was discussing workout tips with Kimiko Ojiro (who, despite her status as a gossip, was a surprisingly capable martial artist) and Daisuke Shoji, trying to take his mind off Katsumi and Izumi. He was rooting for Katsumi, he truly was. People deserved to be happy and if there was one thing he was sure of, it was that Izumi did make her happy. But he wasn't sure how Izumi felt about Katsumi, beyond considering her a friend. As far as he could remember, Izumi had never expressed romantic interest in anyone, male or female. He didn't want to see Katsumi hurt, but only by getting her feelings out in the open could she move forward, whether that was with Izumi or not.

The next minute, there was a terrifying booming noise that shook the whole building and silenced all chatter in the common room, save for a terrified, high-pitched scream. The lights flickered, but quickly came back on.

"Geeze, Aoyama," Mika Mineta said, "give our eardrums a rest."

"Excuse me for having a healthy sense of self-preservation!" Takiyo Aoyama snapped back. "It would be a tragedy the world over were this face to get damaged." Toshi sighed. The two of them were probably never going to get along. At least they weren't slap-fighting anymore.

"What _was_ that?" Tensei Iida asked. "It sounded like something struck the fifth floor!"

"Something did!" Katsumi called out, coming back inside with Izumi hot on her feels. "Some kind of missile or something! We're under attack!"

"We do not know that for certain, Katsumi," Izumi corrected her. "It could be… All right, I do not know what else it might be."

"Wait, the fifth floor?" Ojiro squealed. "My _stuff_!"

"Okay," Toshi said, trying to get everyone's attention. Sometimes, wrangling his friends was like herding cats. He had a pretty good understanding of what to do in disaster situations thanks to his parents, especially his mom. Dad may have been the Number One Hero and Symbol of Hope, but his mom was one of the best Rescue Heroes in the country. "Here's what we do. Feels like the building's still standing, but let's get everybody outside just in case."

He went on. "Haimawari?"

"Y—yes, Midoriya?" Isamu Haimawari asked.

"I'm sure the teachers are already aware and on their way, but you're the fastest on land. Go find one of them."

"You can count on me!"

Good. Haimawari was starting to sound more confident in himself.

Toshi frowned. It was a risk, but he didn't like the idea of just waiting around when there was a potential threat on hand either. "I'm going to check upstairs and see what's going on."

"Not alone," Katsumi said. "I'd never hear the end of it if I let you get your fool ass killed."

"I'm coming too," Asuka Tokoyami said. "If we have to evac, Frog Shadow can protect us."

Toshi held up his hands. "Okay, okay. That's enough people. Let's go!"

Rushing headlong into danger, getting his friends involved… Yeah, he was his father's son.

Toshi took the stairs quickly, two at a time, with Katsumi and Asuka hot on his heels. With the building potentially damaged, the elevator didn't seem like the safest option. At least the smoke alarms didn't seem to be going off. That was a good sign.

They quickly emerged on fifth floor to find that the East wall had been smashed in, exposing the floor to the elements. It looked like it had mercifully missed Izumi and Ojiro's rooms. But there, sitting in the middle of the floor, was a red-haired girl wearing a U.A. uniform. She looked like she was about their age and she looked like she'd been crying.

"What. The. _Hell_." Katsumi said.

"Hey," Toshi called out, softly. "Are you okay?"

The girl's head snapped up, as though noticing them for the first time. She started scrambling away from them. "No… no… stay back! I might hurt you!" Her body started glowing with a strange, orange-red light. "I… I can't control my Quirk!"

Asuka summoned Frog-Shadow, putting it between them and the girl. A good instinct under most circumstances, but something told Toshi it wasn't the right call here. He stepped around the glowing familiar and approached the girl.

"It's okay," he said. "I'm Toshinori Midoriya. That's Katsumi Kirishima-Bakugo and Asuka Tokoyami. What's your name?"

She backed a little further away, but she kept eye contact with him. "Haya Tanaka. I'm in Class 1-C."

"Hope you know what you're doing, Toshi," Katsumi whispered.

Toshi didn't answer her, but pressed on. "Okay, nice to meet you, Tanaka. What's your Quirk?"

"C…Comet. I light on fire and then I fly around real fast. I was… I was on my way to class when my Quirk activated all on its own. I started flying and I couldn't control where I was going and… and I guess… I hit… your dorm… Oh… oh no… did I… Did I hurt anyone?" The glow around her started getting brighter, more flame-like.

Crap. He was losing her. Toshi quickly shook his head. "You didn't hurt anybody. We were all downstairs. Just knocked a big hole in the wall. We were thinking of putting a window in anyway."

That got a little laugh out of her and a groan from Katsumi and Asuka. But her glow was starting to fade, the flames dying down. "Oh, thank goodness…"

Toshi gave her a little smile. "See, it's not so bad, Tanaka. Pretty sure we've all lost control at some point or another. Katsumi here used to blow stuff up all the time when we were growing up."

Katsumi gave him a swat on the back of the head. "Really?"

"Hey, I'm just saying…" Toshi said. Tanaka's glow had completely faded now. He offered her a hand up. "You feeling better?"

She took it. "Yeah. I think I am. Thanks."

"Are we done revealing personal information now?"

Toshi nearly jumped through the roof. "Mister Aizawa! How long have you been behind us?!"

The homeroom teacher kept his gaze focused on Tanaka, his eyes red and his hair floating about his head. Clearly, it had been his Quirk that had really damped Tanaka's powers and not anything he'd done.

"Long enough," Aizawa said. "Running headlong into danger, trying to reach everyone… if I had any doubt you were a Midoriya, it's gone now."

"Uh… thanks?"

"I'm not sure it was a compliment."

"That's pretty cold, Mister Aizawa," Asuka said.

"So is life. You three, get out of here. I'll get Tanaka down."

Well… at least he'd tried.

A strange expression crossed Katsumi's face. "…Izzy!" And she took off down the stairs.

Toshi exchanged a look with Asuka. It was already shaping up to be an interesting day.

There's quite a crowd outside by the time they made their way down the stairs, not just their classmates, but students from the nearby Class 1-B and 1-C dorms as well. A few of them, Toshi recognized, many he didn't. There were teachers and staff too: Sato's dad, Vice-Principal Midnight, the 1-B homeroom teacher Super Ball, the 1-C homeroom teacher Battle Fist, and more, along with Doctor Izumi (though to Toshi, she'd always just be Aunt Eri).

"Only the third day of school, and Class 1-A is already causing trouble?" a blonde kid from 1-B asked. "Why am I not surprised?"

A red-haired girl with metal lower arms smacked him upside the head with a surprisingly satisfying clang. "Oh, shut it, Monoma."

"OW! Jeeze, Tetsutesu, easy on my head."

"Both of you, knock it off," the rubber-faced (and rubber-bodied) Super Ball snapped.

"I expect better of you, Kana," Battle Fist said.

"Aaaw, Moooom," the red-haired girl (apparently Kana Tetsutetsu—he thought he recognized her now, one of Katsumi's friends) wailed.

Tanaka was handed off to Aunt Eri, and Aizawa went along as well. Toshi hoped she was all right. It definitely didn't seem like it was her fault, but that was a hell of a loss of control. Sure, Izumi had lost control yesterday, but that was a totally different kind of thing.

Weird, though, hadn't Grandpa Might said something about a "Quirk misfire" during 1-B's Battle Trials…? It was probably just some kind of freaky coincidence.

"All right, all of you," Vice-Principal Midnight said. She was dressed far more conservatively than she had been in more active Pro-Hero days, but her suit was still low cut enough and tight enough to raise the pulse rate of anyone interested in women. She was still fit and looked younger than her years. And… he was staring. Of course, so were a lot of other people. But that didn't really make it right. Toshi forced himself to pay attention.

"Everyone get to class," Midnight said. "I'm sure you've all got busy days ahead of you. We'll have the dorm repaired before the end of the day."

She unclipped her riding crop from her belt, giving it a slap against her open palm. "You heard me! Don't make me have to… _discipline_ you."

Toshi saw Mineta raise a hand. "Can I volunteer?" the horned girl asked.

Some things never changed.

Classes kept them busy, though Toshi wass still distracted by Tanaka and the events of the morning. He's lost control in a moment of panic, sure. More than once, he'd been stunned enough that when he jumped, it' was with zero gravity and he nearly went flying. But he'd also always recovered just as quickly. But to lose control like that? And then there was whatever happened to Training Ground Beta that they still hadn't completely fixed.

But they'd tell them if something more was going on, right?

At lunch, Toshi saw Katsumi hustle Izumi away for a conversation. Probably the same one that had been interrupted this morning. He really hoped for the best.

Lunch was spent in the company of Asuka, Shota, and Haimawari. As usual, Shota had Hero news to share, spotlighting a battle between the Villain Fullmetal and an up and coming hero called Wreck-It. Dressed in red and black, Fullmetal had metallic arms and legs that he could reshape into various weapons, while Wreck-It was a behemoth of a man with incredible strength, whose true power lie in his ability to cause matter to shatter through rapid-fire punches. It was a hard fought battle, but eventually, Wreck-It did bring the Villain down. Shota declared it the most awesome thing ever, as he likely would whatever he would share tomorrow. Toshi was polite enough not to point out the inconsistency. Shota was younger than the rest of them by several months, not quite fifteen. He could have a little youthful enthusiasm if he wanted.

And finally, the afternoon brought them to their Heroics Class. This time, Grandpa Might had them working through a variation on Capture the Flag. They'd been taken to one of the mock cityscapes and had to make it through a horde of robot villains to retrieve a flag, but they also had to make it back to the exit before time ran out.

With Haimawari and Izumi having to sit a few Heroics classes out, that left them with fourteen. So they were split into two teams of four and two teams of three. Toshi was teamed with Akaya Koda, Daisuke Shoji, and Chihiro Kaminari. It was, in his opinion, a bit of an uneven mix of Quirks. But you worked with what you had available and none of them would be here if they weren't already. He also knew that Chihiro wasn't half was dumb as she acted around Mineta.

On the plus side, their costumes were finally in. Toshi's consisted of yellow boots, blue leggings, a red tunic, and yellow armguards. Across his chest he wore a circle with cut outs at ten, two, four, and eight o'clock, split by crossed lines, the symbol for the center of gravity, in gold. Any resemblance to Grandpa Might's Silver Age costume was… purely coincidental, of course.

Grandpa Might's voice rang out over the loudspeaker. "REMEMBER! YOU ONLY HAVE TWENTY MINUTES TO FIND THE FLAG AND MAKE IT BACK TO THE EXIT! GO OUT THERE AND GIVE IT YOUR BEST!"

With that, the buzzer sounded, signaling the start of their test.

"Do you have a plan, Midoriya?" Koda asked. Her own costume was fairly simple, a pale blue bodysuit, white boots and trucks, and a white leaf pattern swirled over the chest. Around her waist was a belt with pouches that held various seeds.

He nodded. "Shoji and I have more mobility than you and Chihiro. We'll take high, you take low, and work our way to the other side. Call out if you see anything or need help."

"Good enough," Shoji agreed. His costume was rather simple, a black bodysuit, black boots, and a black mask that stopped just short of his eyes and white hair. His Extendo-Arms remained bare. Only a white fist symbol, large and taking up most of his chest, broke up the black.

"Got it," Chihiro said, tossing off a small salute with one of her Cords. She wore yellow pants with a black stripe up the side and black boots, along with a white shirt, and yellow jacket with black trim. A black insignia shaped like an electrical outlet adorned her chest.

Symbols were in lately, in hero-design.

The course of action decided, they moved, Koda and Chihiro taking off on foot, while Toshi reduced his gravity down to near zero and took a mighty leap, landing on top of the closest building. Shoji followed closely behind, the powerful hands of his Extendo-Arms digging into the side of the building and letting him hall himself up like a muscular spider.

From on top of the building, he could see more of the battlefield. "There," he told Shoji. "See the big one, over there? I'm betting that's where the flag is. Only one way to get there, boxed in by the other buildings, perfect chokepoint."

"And that's the direction the robots are coming from," Shoji said, pointing with one of his regular arms.

"Okay, that too."

With their Quirks, him bounding and Shoji extending his arms, it was easy for them to move to rooftop to rooftop, out of the way of the streets. So it's no wonder Koda and Chihiro ran into the robots (just One-Pointers for this exercise) before they did.

Koda acted first, reaching into her belt and throwing a handful of seeds at the nearest robot. As she did, she activated her Quirk, a soft green glow forming around her hand. "Grow quickly," she said, "that I might enlist your aid." The seeds sprouted quickly, growing into vines that wrapped their way around the robot, working their way into its joints and stopping it completely.

Chihiro struck out with her Extension Cords, jabbing both of them into a robot's neck and unleashing a charge of electricity. The robot sparked, stumbled, and fell over. "Hope that wasn't too much of a… shock!" she said, then laughed at her own joke. She quickly retracted her Cords, already attacking the next robot.

"C'mon!" Toshi said to Shoji. "Let's help!" He jumped off the building, aiming for one of the other robots. He concentrated, raising his gravity up to four times normal. "GRAVITY… SMASH!"

He landed on the robot with a powerful crash, crushing it like an aluminum can.

But he wasn't prepared for the second robot, which struck him with a large metal fist. The blow rocked him backwards, hurting some (thank goodness he was tougher when his gravity was up), but his movements in response were slow, clumsy, slowed down by the heavy gravity he'd inflicted on himself. It took him a moment to clear his head enough to bring his gravity back to normal so he could dodge.

Fortunately, Shoji had his back. He'd dropped down from above and gripped the robot in his Extendo-Arms, two each gripping one of its arms. With a grunt, he tore the robot's arms from its body, letting Chihiro sneak in and hit it with a powerful electric charge.

"Watch your back, Midoriya," Shoji told him.

"Yeah," Chihiro added. "You get your face punched in, Mika might stop hitting on you."

Toshi had to laugh. "Promises, promises!"

Twelve minutes later, they had the flag. But with three minutes to go on the clock, they were far from the exit, blocked by too many robots.

"Away with you, metal beasts!" Koda called out, rapidly growing more vines. She had her large form in front of Chihiro, who was leaning against a wall, staring off into space. She'd used too much electricity too quickly and shorted out her own brain. She'd be out of it for a good hour or so. Too long to be helpful in getting out.

Shoji smashed through another robot with his arms, as Toshi did the same by increasing his gravity when he threw a punch. They could keep smashing, but there were too many robots for them to make it. Toshi was further hampered by having to hang onto the flag.

Unless…

"Shoji!" he shouted. "Think you throw me to the exit if I go near weightless?"

The six-armed boy's eyed widened. "Of course I _can_… But if I miss, or if you don't stop in time… you're in for a big crash."

"Won't know unless we try," Toshi said. "Besides… we're only got two minutes. Do it!"

"Your funeral," Shoji said. But he grabbed Toshi with one of his arms, cranked it back, then flung it forward like a trebuchet. With his gravity down to near zero, Toshi went flying through the air like a missile.

He had to focus, keep track of where he was… Slowly, he increased his gravity so that he began to arc downward to the exit. Too fast! Too fast! He couldn't slow down in time, so all he could do was increase his gravity enough to protect himself…

He went sailing through the exit, crashing into the ground with a mighty thud.

The victory bell chimed.

"Team One wins," an electronic voice announced.

"DID YOU SEE THAT? DID YOU SEE WHAT MY GRANDSON DID? I MEAN… AH… GOOD JOB, EVERYONE! AND I HOPE EVERYONE WATCHING LEARNED SOMETHING FROM THAT!"

Well, even if his grandfather was embarrassingly proud… the taste of victory was pretty dang sweet.


	11. Chapter 10: Isamu Figures Things Out

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter Ten: Isamu Haimawari Sits This One Out**

Isamu Haimawari was feeling pretty good. Sure, he'd gotten injured yesterday (not a conversation he was relishing having with his parents and really, one he was hoping he could put off as long as possible), but he'd actually done all right in the Heroics lesson up until then. And more importantly, he'd made up with Izumi Todoroki, who'd been laboring under the impression that he might blame her or hate her. Since he wasn't about to do either of those things, forgiving her had been easy and seemed to put her at ease.

Was it a little forward to take her hand? Maybe. But it looked like she needed it and, well, his dad always said that small acts of kindness matter just as much as the big heroics. It was what made him and his convenience store such a fixture in the neighborhood. People knew that if you needed help, you could talk to Koichi Haimawari and he'd do what he could. Even if he wasn't the Crawler anymore.

He looked up just in time to see Kirishima-Bakugo bolting out the door. She looked… scared? That was weird. He didn't think she had any mood other than angry. His friends may have claimed she had a softer side and he trusted them, but he hadn't seen any sign of it yet. Still…

"Ah… I think your friend's unhappy about something," he told Izumi. "Kirishima-Bakugo."

Izumi frowned. "Katsumi is frequently unhappy. She usually finds a way to take it out on something. …Or someone."

"She fan out of here pretty fast," Isamu said. "I'd say she bolted."

Her eyes went a bit wide at that. "That is… not good," she said after a moment. She pushed back from the table and stood. "Thank you, Isamu, but I should really check on her before…"

Isamu just nodded. He'd seen enough of the explosive blonde to understand at least some of what could follow "before."

"Sure thing," he said. He wondered if he should wish her good luck, but decided against it. It would probably have been rude. Either way, she headed for the door and after Kirishima-Bakugo.

It was a shame that he'd been benched from Heroics Class for today. Even after being hurt, he was actually looking forward to it. He'd done pretty good yesterday, he thought. Sure, he'd been a little scared the whole time, but he'd actually done his part in taking down some of the robots. And he already had some ideas on how he could do better. Plus, eventually, they'd get to the point where they'd be taking on human opponents and he'd do better there.

Well… he'd just have to take the few days to recuperate and go from there.

And then the building shook like a bomb had gone off, knocking Isamu from his chair and landing on the floor. He really had to work on that grace under pressure thing. Were they under attack? Had a gas main exploded? Had Kirishima-Bakugo lost it and done something truly explosive?

All right, he didn't really think the last one was true.

Probably.

"Haimawari?"

"Y—yes, Midoriya?" he asked.

"I'm sure the teachers are already aware and on their way, but you're the fastest on land. Go find one of them."

He gave Midoriya a thumbs' up. "You can count on me!"

Outside, he dropped into a three-point stance and took off, racing along the sidewalk towards the main school building. There'd have to be someone there. Mister Aizawa was always there before any of them were. Given that he always had a sleeping bag with him, Isamu wondered if he actually ever left.

He banked left and right, dodging around students from the other classes who had come to gawk at the giant hole in their dorm. There, up ahead, he could already see some of the staff running towards the building too. He skidded to a stop, and stumbled, nearly falling, managing to right himself at the last second.

And nearly planted his face in someone's cleavage!

He backed away quickly and fell on his butt again. He looked up and his eyes went wide. "V—V—Vice-Principal Midnight!" Oh, he was in so much trouble…! "I'm… I'm so…"

The Vice-Principal reared back her head and laughed, before fixing him with a mischievous stare. "Oh, you are a _bold_ one, kid! I _love _it!"

What… what was happening?

He recognized the others with her, Sugarman from the cafeteria (and Sato's father), the 1-B homeroom teacher, the Bouncing Hero: Super Ball, and the 1-C homeroom teacher, the Furious Fighting Hero: Battle Fist.

"Relax, kid," Battle Fist said. "You've from 1-A, right?"

"R—right," he said. "Midoriya… he sent me to get help, while he went upstairs to check out whatever hit us…"

"Kenta…!" he heard Sugarman say, and he, Midnight, and Battle Fist were off like a shot.

"You still want to help, kid?" Super Ball asked him. When he nodded, the Hero went on, "Go to the Medical Building and get Doctor Izumi, okay?"

"Got it," Isamu said. And he was off again.

Even if he didn't get to participate in the Heroics exercise, at least he got to wear his costume. Isamu's had thick soled red boots that joined protective padding around his knees, blue leggings with red stripping on the edges, a blue padded tunic with red snaps and red shoulder pads, red gloves that came halfway up his forearms, and red protective pads on his elbows. He topped that off with a red bandanna that covered the lower half of his face, and big crimson goggles to protect his eyes. Maybe not as flashy as some of his classmates, but he liked it. And with his Quirk, the padding was absolutely necessary, like the protective gear used by professional cyclists or skateboarders. He'd run into enough things to know it could really hurt, especially as he got faster.

It definitely did its job of making him feel more heroic. Even if he felt good about it, his heroic career so far also seemed to be nothing but one embarrassing moment after another. He needed all the help feeling like a Hero.

When Midoriya's group won the exercise, he let out a cheer. His friend had gotten a little battered by his victory, but he'd given it his all and pulled it off. Midoriya had a confidence Isamu could only wish he had, second-guessing everything he did.

The next group up was Takuma Sero, Kenta Sato, Takiyo Aoyama, and Kimiko Ojiro. Not really the most balanced group, he thought, lacking for the most part in mobility (save for Sero's ability to swing along on his Acid Tape) and limited in firepower beyond Aoyama. He wished them luck. If nothing else, at least they looked good in their costumes.

Sero's costume was a bit plain. Black boots and a black body suit, with a white stripe that started on the inside of the legs and went up the torso and down the outside of the arms, before ending in white stripes at the elbow, leaving his forearms bare so he could use his Acid Tape. He finished it off with a helmet with a clear visor.

Sato was brightly dressed in red and yellow: a red bodysuit, yellow gloves, trunks, and boots, faceless cowl that left his hair exposed, and a downward pointing yellow wedge on his chest, with a white tooth insignia in the middle. Isamu had been told insignias were in right now for Hero designs, but hadn't been able to come up with anything he liked.

Aoyama was, of course, sparkling, even indoors. His leggings and sleeveless tunic were a dark blue, leaving his arms bare save for the reflective bands that took up his entire forearm. Tall white boots, along with a white, high collared cape, and a reflective belt completed the outfit. The belt and armbands were Support items, designed to help him focus his power.

And finally, there was Ojiro. For someone invisible, she was dressed incredibly flashily. High hot pink boots, practically neon green leggings and a tunic, with a hot pink leotard over that, along with hot pink gloves that went three-fourths of the way up her arms. She finished it out with silvery-goggles of unspecified purpose and a small utility belt. Isamu guessed that when you were invisible, you wanted to stand out.

For now though, he was sitting in the stands with the rest of the group watching. Just for today, fortunately. He still felt a bit worn out from how Doctor Izumi had rewound him, but she had assured him he would be fine by the next day. He sat with Shota Shinso, and Asuka Tokoyami, who he'd started thinking of as his friends. He didn't have a lot of those, having been thought of as the weird, awkward guy during middle school. Though if he was honest with himself, he was probably still the weird, awkward guy. But at least almost everyone here was a little weird.

At least Izumi seemed happy enough. He'd only know her a few days, so he couldn't claim to know her well, but after she'd run after Kirishima-Bakugo that morning, she'd seemed lost and distracted. He wondered if her change in mood had anything to do with whatever Kirishima-Bakugo had spirited her away for at lunch. Midoriya seemed to know something about it, but he wouldn't say anything about it. If he was a braver person, he would have asked her about it. But it seemed… personal. He didn't think they were close enough that he could really ask. But she and Kirishima-Bakugo were sitting together and were joined by Midoriya when his group returned, so he supposed it was all right.

His thoughts were interrupted by Mika Mineta leaning over from the row behind him. Her costume consisted of brown chaps, a purple vest over a low cut and sleeveless brown tunic, thick, fringed purple gloves, and a small purple domino mask. A thick purple belt and a lariat finished it off. Leaning over put her considerable cleavage near his head.

"Looking good in that costume, Haimawari," she said. "You like mine?"

Various thoughts and impulses went to war in his head. On a purely visceral level, Mineta was extremely attractive. And he had no problem with assertive women; his mother certainly was one. But Mineta was also unsettlingly aggressive and made him feel a bit like a piece of meat.

"It's… ah… it's nice, Mineta," he tried, desperately.

"You know where it would look even better?"

Nope, nope, nope, he wasn't finishing that thought.

Thankfully, Tokoyami came to his rescue. "Down, girl, *chirp*." Frog-Shadow materialized and gave Mineta a shove back into her seat. "Thank you, Frog-Shadow."

"No problem!"

"Thanks, Tokoyami," he said. He considered, then decided to err on the side of politeness. "And Frog-Shadow."

The bird-headed girl shook her head. "Don't worry about it. You've just got to firm with her."

Yeah, being firm with attractive women throwing themselves at him? He wasn't sure that was going to happen.

Things weren't going well with the group going through the exercise either. They hadn't even found the flag before they were overwhelmed by robots. Sero's Acid Tape was eating through a few of them and Sato was taking bites out of any that got close, but neither was making a lot of headway. Aoyama and Ojiro weren't having much luck either. The former's lasers were effective against the robots, but it looked like he wasn't managing his power reserves well; his glow was already diminished and his blasts were becoming less and less effective. And in the crowded space, Ojiro's invisibility wasn't especially effective either. Nowhere to go meant nowhere to hide.

The buzzer sounded. Time was up and the second team had failed the exercise. Well… at least they hadn't gotten knocked out? That had to count for something, right? Either way, he'd need to think of what they might have done differently. Since they weren't participating, he and Izumi had to write up critiques of the other teams.

Frankly, he'd rather have been fighting robots. He had a hard enough time figuring out what he should do, let alone what someone else should do.

Classes long done and homework battled as much as his brain could stand, Isamu's fingers hovered over the call button on his phone, the contact picture of his parents staring back at him. He should have called them yesterday, honestly, but he was afraid of what they might say, what they might think. But how did you even begin to tell your parents that you'd suffered burns over 90% of your body and nearly died, saved only by the fact that the school's chief doctor had a Quirk that let her rewind you?

His parents understood the cost of heroics. The man who had taught his father, the vigilante called Knuckleduster, was dead, killed in the line of duty. And his father had been badly injured helping people, his leg broken in such a way that even after it healed, he never walked right again, ending his career. His mother had made it through it all unscathed, but had retired in solidarity with his father.

It was one thing to have been injured in the line of duty, in saving people. It was another to have been so badly injured in training. He wasn't sure how they would take it, or what they would say, or what they would do.

In spite of it all, the one thing he knew that he _didn't_ want to do was go home. Sure, he'd nearly died. And sure, he'd barely made it in to begin with. But… he had friends here, people who believed in him (not that his parent's didn't). He had a chance to be a real Pro-Hero, and he didn't want to give that up.

He hit dial. If Izumi could stand up to her parents… then he could stand up to his.

It rang once, twice, and then then voice of his mother, Kazuho Haimawari, came on the line. "Isamu! Three days, young man! Three days! What, are you too busy being a Hero already to call?"

Yep, that was his mother all right.

"N—no, Mom, just… had a lot of stuff going on."

"_Stuff_?" Oh, crap. Her mom radar was probably already pinging. "What kind of "_stuff_?'"

In for a penny, in for a pound. "I'd, ah, I'd really only like to tell this once, Mom. Is Dad around?"

"I don't like that the sound of that," the former Pop*Step said. "Hang on, I just heard him come in. Let me get him." There was the sound of the phone being put down and then, "_KOICHI_!"

There was the sound of rushing in the background, and he could tell his father had used his Quirk to speed into whatever room his mom was in. He wasn't in good enough to use it for heroics anymore, but for short bursts, he could still manage. "I'm the guy who answered your call!" he heard his father say. That was followed by the sound of his mom smacking his dad upside the head.

"No time for your corniness! Isamu's on the phone!"

"Oh, hey, kiddo! How's the big Hero in family doing?"

"It's… It's good, Dad. I'm doing good. But I really do need to tell you what happened…"

He swore he could hear the temperature on the other end of the line drop by several degrees. He must have impressed upon them how serious it was.

"What's going on, son?" his father prompted.

"I… I got hurt yesterday," Isamu said, after a long moment spent gathering his thoughts. "One of my classmates, she's got this Quirk where she absorbs heat and makes ice, but she has to let it out. Only, she overused it and collapsed. And I didn't want her to hit her head or anything, so I raced over and caught her… only she hadn't let go of all that heat yet. So when she passed out, it kind of all came out at once. As fire. I got burned. Like… all over."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the call, though it was quickly broken by his mother. "What the _hell_, Isamu?!"

He quickly tried to press on. "I'm—I'm okay, Mom. The school doctor fixed me right up, like I wasn't even hurt at all. They got me there in time."

"No, seriously, what the _hell_? You waited over a day to tell us this? That you almost died?! Who's the kid? I'll sue their family for every penny they've got! I'll sue the school! I don't care what waivers we signed!"

"Pop…" his dad said. "Maybe you could calm down, just a little?" It was clear his dad was worried too, but keeping a better level of control over it.

"Calm down? Calm down?! Our son almost died and you're telling me to calm down? What! Is! Wrong! With! You?!" From the sounds on the other end of the phone, she was probably smacking him.

"Ow, ow, ow! Hey, stop it!" Yep, definitely smacking him. "I need that arm, Pop!"

"Uh… Mom? Dad?"

The smacking sounds stopped.

"Look, I didn't tell you right away because I didn't want to worry you. That's one's on me. But I'm okay. Really. Got a day excused from Heroics, but I'm okay. Even made nice with the girl who burned me. She was more upset than I was. But if I'm gonna get hurt… at least this was because I was doing the right thing."

Silence again, then, "He's got a point, Pop."

"You're just saying that because it sounds like something you'd say. You never held any grudges either."

"You do that enough for both of u-ow!"

"You sure you're all right, Isamu?" his mom asked.

"I'm fine, Mom," he insisted. "Looking forward to getting back to Heroics. Plus… I've made a bunch of new friends. You'd like them. One of them's even Deku's kid."

"Wait, Deku's kid? All Might's grandson?" his father asked. "…Any chance you can get an autograph or two?"

Isamu squeezed the bridge of his nose, fighting the urge to laugh. "I'll see what I can do, Dad."


	12. Chapter 11: Izumi Has an Important Talk

**Their Hero Academia –Chapter Eleven: Izumi Todoroki Tries to Sort it All Out**

"I'm in love with you, Izzy. Been in love with you for a long time."

For a moment, the world seemed to freeze around Izumi Todoroki, as her longtime friend Katsumi Kirishima-Bakugo confessed her longtime love for her. There was nothing in anything she had experienced, nothing in anything she had ever done, that could have prepared her for this, told her how to react. She was not good, she knew, with reading people or knowing how most people would react to things. And in that exact moment, she desperately wished that she was.

Katsumi had been her friend for longer than she could remember. She had been her protector, always there when she needed her. And in return, she had been one of the few people Katsumi would always, always listen to. And that was something even Toshi did not have. She truly valued Katsumi's friendship, in spite of her friend's sometimes rough edges.

Never, not even if she had been given a lifetime to guess, would she have thought that Katsumi might be in love with her.

Memories came, unbidden. All the times when she had calmed Katsumi down, stilled her from some disastrous path. All the times she and Katsumi had shared their thoughts and secrets, all the times Katsumi had gone out of her way to look out for her. Just the day before, when Katsumi had threatened to fight her parents if they tried to take her away from U.A.

Clearly, Izumi was a blind idiot for not seeing this sooner.

Izumi considered herself to be a straightforward and honest person. Perhaps not quite to the degree that Asuka Tokoyami was, but she was not a liar and she did not avoid difficult situations. She had asked for this, asked Katsumi to tell her what was the matter. And yet, in that moment, all she desperately wished that she could be anywhere else. Because she truly had no idea what to do next.

"Katsumi, I…" she began. Some sort of response was required; Katsumi had bared her soul and was looking at her with expectant eyes. But she quickly realized she had no idea what she was going to say next.

It was almost a relief when a sound like a rocket split the air. Both of them looked up and watched _something_ streak across the sky towards the dormitory, with a sound like thunder. It looked like a comet, or a missile, and then… It impacted with the fifth floor of the dormitory, shattering the wall with a colossal _**BOOM! **_Though she prayed no one was hurt, it if meant she did not have to have this conversation right now…

"What the _fuck_ was that?" Katsumi yelled. "Are we under attack?"

The thought chilled Izumi to the bone, a chill that had nothing to do with her Quirk. If any of her friends had been injured… "We must find out," she said.

Katsumi frowned, clearly annoyed and frustrated that her heartfelt confession had been interrupted. But as hot-headed as she could be, Katsumi was not so selfish as to put herself first in a situation like this. "Ngh… no, you're right, Izzy," she said. "C'mon!"

It was quite possibly one of the worst mornings Izumi had ever had. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Katsumi's confession and how there had been no time to discuss or process it. Her sympathies lay heavily with Haya Tanaka, the girl from the morning. To have lost control of your Quirk like that… It reminded her too much of how she'd injured Isamu. In both cases, everyone involved had been very lucky.

But she had barely been able to concentrate on her school work. She had made careless mistakes in her classes. FireFox, their flame-powered powered math teacher with a head like a red panda, hadn't noticed, but Hawkeye, the blonde daughter of retired Pro-Hero and former U.A. teacher Snipe, certainly had during her English lesson.

Lunchtime was a merciful relief.

She told Toshi and the others to go on without her and waited outside the classroom for Katsumi. When her friend exited the classroom, she stopped her with a small touch on the upper arm. "Katsumi… may we finish our conversation from this morning?"

Katsumi brightened slightly at that, though worry quickly filed in after. She'd spent most of the morning rather sullenly hunched over in her desk, almost looking like she was trying to hide, something Izumi never thought she'd see. "I'll… I'll go get us lunches and bring it back here, okay, Izzy? I know you gotta eat to take your pills."

Izumi blinked. She'd been so preoccupied she'd actually forgotten about that. Amazing. That was how distracted she'd become. "I… thank you, Katsumi. For remembering."

It left her waiting for Katsumi again, though. And that meant she was alone again with her thoughts, absently pacing the rows of desks in the classroom. She could run (granted, not for terribly long, but she could when required), avoid the conversation entirely. Or perhaps she could simply freeze herself in a block of ice and wait around in suspended animation for a few centuries (she was fairly certain her Quirk would have prevented that, even without the need to release the heat involved).

Run away… or stay and have a conversation she truly, truly did not wish to have. Because there was no way it would end without her hurting Katsumi. Katsumi was the strongest person she knew and yet a few words might deal her the most terribly blow of all.

All of her options were terrible ones. No matter what she did, she was certain she was going to hurt her dearest friend in all the world.

Katsumi soon returned with two trays of food. "Got a few things I knew you'd like," she said. "Including cold soba. Because you have no taste."

Izumi raised an eyebrow at that. "There is nothing wrong with cold soba. My father enjoys it as well."

"Then you've both got no taste," Katsumi teased.

They are in silence for few minutes, before Izumi finally found the courage to speak. "Katsumi," she began, "about this morning…"

Katsumi looked up from her food. "I… I shouldn't have said that, Izzy. I've gone and made everything so fu—so weird."

Izumi shook her head. "You followed your heart. It must have taken considerable courage to tell me that. I'm not sure I would have had the same courage, were our positions reversed."

"Blame Toshi for that one. He's the one who figured it out. He's the one who convinced me to talk to you. For somebody whose entire strategy is "get high up, then fall," he can be pretty smart sometimes.

"…But don't tell him I said that."

"Your secret is safe with me," Izumi assured her.

They lapsed into silence again, eventually broken by Katsumi. "You're not in love with me," she said.

Izumi looked down. Katsumi deserved nothing less than her honesty. She had bared her soul and Izumi could do no less in return. "I am sorry," she said. "But I am not. I love you as I love my family, as I love Toshi and Shota and Asuka. There is no one I consider to be a better friend. But I am not in love with you."

Katsumi looked down and Izumi could swear she could see some of the light leave her friend's eyes, see something inside of her die just a little. "Thanks for being honest with me," she said. She forced a smile that even Izumi could tell she didn't really feel. "Is there… anybody you do like? Because I can make them ask you out if they're too chicken. Been told I'm very convincing." It was a fast and sudden pivot, but not wholly unexpected. Katsumi was trying to find firmer ground to stand on.

That was a question in and of itself. "There is not," she said after a moment. "I do not know if I have ever experienced romantic attraction... or even lust. I can appreciate aesthetic attractiveness, such as the way you look when you smile, or Toshi's muscles when he takes off his shirt…"

"Ick, ick, ick, he's like my freaking brother, Izzy."

"But romantic attraction… No. I've never felt that."

"That's… that's kinda sad, Izzy."

Izumi nodded. "I am not sure I agree. Perhaps I am still waiting for the right person, or perhaps there is no right person for me. I do not know. I can only see where life takes me."

She frowned and looked down. So many serious conversations is so few days. Her parents, Isamu, and now Katsumi. "Katsumi… are we still friends?"

Katsumi locked eyes with her for a moment. "Yeah. We are, Izzy. I think… I think I need some time to work some things out, figure out who I'm gonna be if being in love with you isn't getting me anywhere. But you're always gonna be my friend. I love you, even if I ain't gonna be in love with you. Just gotta figure out what that makes me."

"Thank you, Katsumi. I really hope you find someone who can make you happy."

"Me too, Izzy. Me too."

Izumi rose and indicated that Katsumi should do the same, which she did, albeit with a puzzled look on her face. Izumi pulled her friend into a tight hug, holding it for several long seconds. She was not typically physically demonstrative and she could feel Katsumi jerk in surprise before she returned it.

"You will always be my friend, Katsumi. Never, never forget that."

Izumi always did enjoy the opportunity to see her friends and classmates in action. True, she was envious of the freedom with which they moved and used their Quirks, but there was something about seeing them in action that did send a bit of a thrill through her heart. Still, she regretted that she was being forced to sit this round out and would for the rest of the week as well. She had significantly overextended her Quirk, after all. But it meant that she would fall behind the others. She would have to work that much harder to catch up.

From what she understood, however, her costume should make it somewhat harder for her to overextend herself like that again. After her parents had visited her, her mother had apparently made a call to the Iida Twins' mother, Mei Iida, and suggested several potential modifications to her costume, which the support equipment designer had passed on to the school after making them into reality in the space of a long night. The combined forces of Momo Yaoyorozu and Mei Iida were apparently very hard to argue with.

Her base costume was split between orange and a pale blue. Her left boot, right leg, left half of her tunic, and right glove were blue, while the right boot, left leg, right half of her tunic, and left glove were orange. Silver bands encircled the cuffs of her boots and gloves, matching the silver belt that contained basic field aid supplies and her own medications. Finally, a silver harness completed the costume. The harness, along with the silver bands, was designed to help offset some of the hear she absorbed, letting her discharge it more harmlessly than letting it out as flame, as well as pulling heat all on its own when she absorbed dangerously high amounts.

The third team of the day had taken the field: Sora Iida, Shota Shinso, and Asuka Todoroki. The grouping was a bit unfair, in her opinion. Sora's Quirk provided high mobility, Shota's high versatility, and Asuka's provided both. But Hero work was often unfair, and sometimes there were foes and situations to be faced that could not be handled by a particular Quirk. Adapting even in the face of that was something they would all have to learn.

Sora's costume harkened back to her father's and uncle's (Izumi's uncle as well, since the elder Tensei Iida was married to her Aunt Fuyumi), having a heavily robotic styling. Silver boots, gloves, helmet, and chest plate contrasted well against the red of the rest of her costume, along with folded silver wings like a jet's on her back. Izumi knew that Sora's costume (and that of her brother, Tensei, which looked virtually identical, save for being blue where Sora's was red) incorporated significant support gear that the twins had designed themselves to enhance their Jetpack Quirk.

Asuka's primarily wore green: light green leggings, a light green tunic with a dark green stipe, white boots and gloves, and a dark green cape. Izumi would not call herself the best judge of aesthetics, but it struck her as a bit plain. Then again, Asuka was noticeable enough on her own, between her bird-head and her Quirk. Perhaps that was enough.

Shota's costume was a bit of a mishmash of colors. He wore navy blue boots with white stripes, white leggings, a navy blue tunic with white arm bands, and blue gloves. On his chest, he had a series of jagged yellow lines, which Shota had told her was a representation of the sound waves for "Plus Ultra."

Izumi watched as Sora took off, getting an aerial fix on the flag, while Asuka summoned Frog-Shadow to carry herself and Shota through the streets in great leaps. Robots tried to stop them, but between Frog-Shadow and the immense power of Shota's voice, they were quickly smashed. With Sora's flight power, keeping the flag and getting it back to the others was easy.

Until the flying robots arrived. One swatted Sora out of the air easily, sending her crashing to the ground with an impact that made Izumi wince. Even knowing that injuries could be treated easily enough by the U.A. medical staff, it was not fun to watch someone get hurt like that.

Shota let out a low pitched sound, one Izumi could practically feel in her bones, even from the observation stands. It made her feel faintly… unwell. But its effects on the robots were even more incredible. Where the soundwaves impacted with the robots, the robots simply… weren't anymore, dissolving away into dust.

She was grateful Shota was such a happy, gentle soul. The thought of his power turned towards malicious ends was truly horrifying and that was only the abilities they had discovered so far. He was always trying to hit new high and low pitches, to see what they would do.

Asuka took up the flag, trying to get to the exit on Frog-Shadow. Unfortunately, their efforts weren't in time. The buzzer sounded with time running out. A failure, but perhaps not as overwhelming of one as the previous group. But she would already see where things could have gone better. Izumi would have to reflect some, but she could likely complete her analysis without much trouble.

"Damn," Katsumi said. "Almost thought they had that one. Who knew Loud Kid had it in him?"

"He is full of surprises," Izumi agreed. She was just thankful Katsumi was still speaking to her. Yes, they had agreed they were still friends, but she suspected heartbreak was not something that mended so quickly. She would have to be especially mindful of Katsumi and how she spoke to her and what she asked of her now, before the two of them could find a new normal. Whatever normal was, anyway.

Katsumi went on. "Let's see… with you and the Newb sitting this one out, that means the last group is gonna be me, the other Jetset, and…"

She stopped, silently mouthing the names or identities she'd assigned to their classmates. "Crap. Mineta."

Izumi hid a small smile behind her hand. Katsumi truly had no filters and was very free with her reactions. She'd seen it get the explosive girl in trouble many times, but at the same time, she somewhat envied the freedom with which she acted and spoke. "I am sure it will not be so bad," she said. "I think you have threatened her enough to belay her worst impulses. You have led the horse to the waters of fear and made her drink."

Katsumi just stared at her before cracking a smile of her own. "Was that a joke, Izzy? Are you doing jokes now?"

"Perhaps it was."

Katsumi actually laughed at that. "Just when I think I've got you figured out."

Later, when classes were over and homework was done, Izumi found herself watching television in the common room with Toshi, Shota, and Asuka. The dormitory had been repaired by the time they'd returned, a testament to how quickly U.A. could get things done. And other than a few things knocked off her bookshelf, nothing in her room had been damaged. Isamu had been invited to join them, but had mentioned that he needed to make a call home. He'd seemed reluctant to be making it, but Izumi understood that. Parents were very complicated even at the best of times.

She hadn't been paying too much attention to the movie they were watching, some old classic monster movie, but Toshi and Shota liked it, and her friends being happy was enough for her. However, the television suddenly caught her attention as the film stopped and the logo for the local news affiliate appeared on the screen.

"…interrupt your broadcast to bring you this special report from downtown Musutafu," the newscaster, a furry man who looked slightly uncomfortable in his suit, "where we are receiving reports of several Pro-Heroes engaged in battle with a gigantified Villain. We're going live to the scene now…"

"Turn it up," Toshi said. Shota, who had the remote, complied.

The scene shifted to the downtown area, where a giant, fire breathing lizard monster was lashing out at anyone and everything. Giant claws, a massive tail, blazing fire breath, all of it was being unleashed. Citizens ran from it, screaming, even as it let out a massive roar.

"Any idea who that is?" Asuka asked.

"No Villain I recognize," Toshi said.

"Me neither," Shota added.

Fortunately, there were Pro Heroes on the scene already. The veteran Hero Kamui Woods could be seen pulling civilians out of the Villain's path (he'd experienced a bit of decline in recent years, before rebranding himself as a Rescue Hero), while other Heroes attempted to stop the beast, but none of them were having any effect. Its hide repelled their attacks and none were strong enough to stop it.

"That's… not far from here," Asuka said. "Do you think we should be worried?"

The broadcast answered the question for them, as a great voice came from somewhere offscreen. "There's no need to worry… for _**I AM HERE**_!"

Out of the sky, a green, black, and white figure (with red shoes) dropped, slamming a powerful fist into the creature's head.

Toshi lit up. "Dad!"

Deku's blow snapped the giant lizard's head back. He hit the ground with a hard impact that cracked the concrete, and followed up with a hard flick of his fingers, sending a burst of air into the lizard monster's midsection. It cried out in a screech that sounded more confused and fearful than hurt, its eyes locking on him.

They watched as Deku hesitated, gearing up for another blow, but stopping midway through another punch. Instead, he held a hand up to the lizard. The lizard monster stared for a moment and it looked almost as though clouds were clearing from its eyes. It reached out with its giant hand, brushing the tip of one of its claws against his hand. And then it simply vanished, replaced on the ground by a woman.

A… naked woman. Fortunately, the television camera cut away, as Deku wrapped his cape around her to try and preserve her modesty.

"…just lost control," the woman who had been the lizard monster seemed to say, before the camera cut away to Deku, reporters mobbing him with questions.

"That was awesome!" Shota declared. "He did the air flick! He did the air flick!"

Toshi grinned. "Okay, that part was pretty awesome. But it was even more awesome how he stopped her without having to really hurt her." He frowned. "Especially since it didn't look like she was at fault…"

"How do you think he figured that out?" Izumi asked. She'd seen no signs that it was anything more than a run of the mill giant Villain attack.

Toshi shook his head. "I dunno."

"That look in her eyes, though," Asuka said, "it reminds me of the girl from this morning. *chirp*"

Toshi frowned. "You know, I think you're right…"

"That is troubling," Izumi said. Toshi and Asuka had filled the rest of the class in on what had happened. To lose control like that… Well, she'd already personally seen what happened when you lost control. People got hurt. Yet she had a feeling her own loss of control was nothing like what these others were experiencing. Hers had been pushing beyond her limits. This… was something else entirely.

What was going on in the world?


	13. Chapter 12: Katsumi Tries to Move On

**Their Hero Academia –Chapter Twelve: Katsumi Kirishima-Bakugo Picks Up the Pieces**

So. Izzy didn't love her. Well, she loved her, but she didn't _love her_ love her. And that was something Katsumi was just going to have to learn to live with. She supposed it was better, now that it was out in the open, even if it felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest, frozen, set on fire, and the ashes scattered to the four winds. Now that she knew Izzy was an impossibility, she could try and move on.

Right.

So why was that all she could think about? Maybe she should have distanced herself more from Izzy. But that didn't feel right either. She _loved_ loved Izzy… but she loved her too. She really was one of her best friends in all the world. And Katsumi was well aware she was not the easiest person in the world to like. Izzy, Toshi, Kana Tetsutetsu, she could probably count the number of people she really considered to be her friends on both hands and would have a few fingers left over. She could not afford to lose what few friends she had.

Izzy did not love her and she would just have to make her peace with that.

"Are you all right, Kirishima-Bakugo?" Tensei Iida asked, his features hidden by his helmet. His costume matched that of his sister's, looking like a robot with silver boots, gloves, chest plate, wings, and helmet, accented with blue where his sister had red.

"You're, ah, kinda distracted," Mika Mineta said, actually sounding genuinely concerned, rather than flirtatious.

Well, crap. If Mineta was noticing, then she must have been in a state. "I'm fine," Katsumi growled. "Start looking for the damn flag already."

She cracked her knuckles. If nothing else, she did look damn good in her costume. She had thigh-high black boots with bolt laces, black and gold trunks, a black sleeveless and mid-riff baring top, golden armguards, and black fingerless gloves with a palm cut out. An insignia like a cartoon bomb in gold on her top completed the look. Dad would probably flip out when he saw it, but Papa would probably appreciate her embracing her Wo-Manliness.

And then the robots were upon them. "Jetset!" she growled to Iida. "Find the flag! Horse-Face and I will take care of these damn tin cans!"

"Kirishima-Bakugo…" Iida began. "I do not know if I feel right abandoning my teammates…"

"_Get going already!_"

Iida recoiled from her, activating his Jetpack Quirk to take to the air to begin the search for the flag.

"That's your big plan?" Mineta asked, dodging out of the way of one of the robots. She gave it a kick with one of her hooves, knocking it down. "Send Iida after it and hope?" She let out a shriek as another robot nearly punched her head off.

"Stop yapping and fight!" Katsumi growled.

She eyed the nearest robot and let a grin creep across her face. Finally, something she could hit. And after the last couple of days she'd been having… she definitely needed it.

She slapped the closest robot, then gave it a hard punch with her other hand, knocking it into the next nearest one. Just in time too, because the explosive charge she'd given the first robot took effect, blowing up its head and taking them both out.

She had to play this smart. Her Quirk worked by means of a liquid she secreted from her hands. It did something on a chemical level to most matter, giving it highly volatile explosive properties. But there was a limit to how much she could produce at a given time. She'd run out during yesterday's exercise, not something she wanted to experience again.

A purple sphere flew by her head, hitting a robot and obscuring its vision. "Hey! Watch where you're aiming that!"

"Sorry!" Mineta apologized, headbutting a robot with her horns. "Fired off that one by mistake! Got a little spooked!"

Gaaah! Mineta made her so mad! If she wasn't flirting with everything that moved, she was being a damn coward. If she just stopped yapping and _fought_, she might actually be a halfway worthwhile hero!

Katsumi tore through the robots, touching each one long enough to impart explosiveness upon them. They blew up in a hail of shrapnel and smoke. A wicked grin crossed her face. "Damn, that felt good."

"I am never getting the smell of smoke out of my hair," Mineta wailed, leaning against a wall. "Did you have to blow so much stuff up?"

"Yes."

"Teammates!" Iida's voice cut through the air. "I have the flag!"

Katsumi looked up to see Iida flying through the air, flag in hand. Several flying robots were hot on his heels.

"Get it down here, Jetset! Horse-Face! Start shooting them down!"

"Stop shouting!" Mineta snapped back, even as she peppered the air with sticky purple spheres. "I've already got a headache from all the explosions!"

"You'll have more than a headache if you don't shut up!"

Why didn't people just listen to her?

"Jetset! Low flight, keep going to the exit!"

Iida hesitated for a second, but the look in her eyes was enough to scare him into motion.

More robots were coming now. Katsumi took a breath and slapped both hands on the ground. "Horse-Face, you might wanna back up!"

For once, Mineta listened to her, jumping several feet backwards with one easy bound. Katsumi let her power seep into the ground… and then the concrete exploded, showering the robots with flames and rubble.

The destruction was one of the most beautiful things Katsumi had ever seen.

And yet… her thoughts still lingered on Izzy.

"Tensei Iida has made it to the exit!" All Might's voice rang out over the loudspeaker. "Team Four Wins!"

She'd had her heart broken, but at least something was going right today.

The next morning, the sun rose. Not completely unexpected, of course, but if the world had ended, at least she wouldn't have had to face one where Izzy didn't share her feelings, a world where she'd bared her soul and found rejection (kind, friendship-embracing rejection, but still rejection). She didn't harbor any ill will towards Izzy. She wasn't sure that was something she could ever do. And she truly hoped that whatever or whoever Izzy wanted out of life, she found it.

They were only fifteen. There was a lot of time in the world for things to happen, for either of them. But she'd spent too many of the past years nursing an unrequited crush. Now, she had to Woman up and move forward. And the best way to clear her head was exercise. It was too early to tackle the punching bag though, as much as she might have liked to let out her pent up emotions that way.

Most of the rest of the class wouldn't be up yet. Katsumi had already learned she was one of the earliest risers. The only one up earlier than her was Toshi, which she had already known. He was one of the only people she knew who was dedicated to their health as she was and the only one she'd admit to being able to keep up with her (Not that she'd ever admit it, especially not to him, but it was sometimes her keeping up with him. He was just that good).

Fortunately, he hadn't left yet. Katsumi found him about to head out to the door on the ground floor. He was wearing shorts and a tank top, as he usually did, and Katsumi was reminded of Izzy's comments about aesthetic appreciation. Toshi _was_ really fit. His arms and legs were almost as well muscled as hers. He was also practically her brother (Yes, she had an actual brother. But still.).

"You mind if I join you, Toshi?" she asked.

He only seemed slightly surprised by the question. "Didn't think you were that into running, Katsumi."

She shrugged. "Need to get moving today or I'm gonna explode."

He nodded, opting not to ask any follow up questions. He'd sat and talked with them some yesterday during the training exercise and new the basic outline of what had happened. He'd push if he felt it was really important, but he also understood boundaries.

"Sure, then," he said.

They kept up a brisk jog, enough to get their blood moving, making their way past the upperclassmen's dorms and towards some of the smaller athletic fields. She knew Toshi was actually faster than her, but right now, he was just keeping the pace.

"You're using your Quirk," she said.

Toshi blinked. "How'd you know?"

"You've got your 'Quirk' face on, Toshi. You make this weird look every time you use your Quirk. Have for years."

"I do?" he asked. "Aw, jeeze…"

She shook her head. "You making yourself lighter to cheat? You know I don't stand for cheating…"

"No!" he cried, quickly. She wasn't that scary, was she? Then again, she'd slammed him against the wall yesterday. Maybe she was. "Not that! Definitely not that! I'm making myself heavier! I figured out I can make my muscles stronger by working them under heavier gravity. So I'm, like, five percent heavier than usual right now."

Okay, she had to admit, that was pretty smart. "You come up with that on your own?"

He shook his head. "Wish I had. But Dad suggested it."

"Saw him on the news last night. You hear from him today?"

Toshi shook his head again. "No. Wish I had. Izumi and Asuka think there's something weird going on. Love to talk to him about it, but his phone keeps going to voicemail."

Huh. That was odd. Uncle Deku was usually extremely available, especially for Toshi and his sisters. There must have been something big going on, but she couldn't even begin to guess what."

Whatever thoughts she had were interrupted by someone coming up from behind them. "On your left!"

She cast a glance over her shoulder. "Kana, if you think I'm letting you pass me, you've got another thing coming! Book it, Toshi!"

Katsumi sped up and Toshi did too, even as Kana Tetsutetsu ran up beside them. The red-haired girl gave them a shark-toothed grin. "Only you could turn a morning jog into a competition, Katsumi."

Katsumi gave her a fist bump as they kept running. "Only way to get stronger is to keep pushing, Kana. You know that."

"Maybe I just like hearing you say it."

Katsumi just laughed. Like her, Kana was a deeply devoted disciple of the Womanly Arts and Ways of Living. She hadn't had much chance to see her since school had started, so she was glad to have run into her. Katsumi didn't exactly do "girl time", but maybe she'd see if Kana had time to talk later.

"You liking school so far, Tetsutetsu?" Toshi asked.

Kana made a face. "It's mostly good. Super Ball's a good teacher, at least. But I swear, we've only had three days of classes and I've already had to clobber Monoma ten times. I'd do worse, if his parents weren't friends with mine…"

"Yeah, well, mine aren't," Katsumi said. Her father in particular had a rather low opinion of the Hero called Phantom Thief. "You need me to rough him up any?"

"Katsumi!" Toshi said. "You can't do that!"

"Relax, Toshi," she said. "There's a chance I'm joking." Which she was. Well, maybe twenty-five percent joking.

"I appreciate the offer," Kana said. "But I'll deal."

The sound of a scream ruined any other chance of conversation.

Toshi pointed. "That came from under the bleachers!"

The three of them exchanged a glance and took off as fast as they could.

The source of the scream was readily apparent when they neared the bleachers. There were two students, one male and one female—Katsumi didn't recognize them, but they looked old enough to be third years—and the woman definitely seemed to be the screamer. The male, a dark-haired young man, was the problem. His Quirk, some kind of blue-green laser blade pulsing from his hands, seemed to refuse to switch off. And they were getting bigger, the blades already several feet long and growing. He couldn't even lower his hands, lest the blades start slicing up the ground.

"Get back!" he said. "I can't turn it off!"

"What happened?" Toshi asked.

"We were just taking a walk, so we could talk" the girl, blue-haired and wide-eyed, with small antenna coming from her forehead, explained. Given their location and the worry in her voice, Katsumi recognized a woman in love. They'd probably gone under the bleachers to make out, but that wasn't really important now. "And then...! We were heading back when Haru's Quirk activated and he couldn't shut it off!

"I were going to get help," she went on, "but he was so scared we didn't want to leave him…"

"No phones?" Katsumi asked. Who didn't have a cellphone in this day and age?

My fault," the girl said. "My Quirk is blocking cell signals and it's always on, so we never carry them."

Another out of control Quirk, just like yesterday morning. And on the news last night. And Toshi was wondering if whoever had destroyed the training ground the other day was part of it too. This was starting to be a really bad trend.

"I'll go get help," Toshi said. "I can cover it in a couple jumps. Katsumi, Tetsutetsu, can you stay with her?"

"Of course," Kana said.

"Get going already, Toshi!"

Toshi nodded and took a quick leap, carrying himself a considerable distance towards the main campus.

Which left Katsumi and Kana were an emotionally fragile girl and a guy with an out of control Quirk.

"It hurts…" the guy—Haru —cried out, and his laser-blades grew longer.

"Look out!" Katsumi tackled the girl as the laser blade nearly skewered them. Kana activated her own Quirk, converting her arms to metal and throwing them up in front of her body in an X. The laser blade splashed against them and knocked her back, but didn't cut through them.

"Damn!" Kana cried out, still holding her ground. "That's a strong Quirk you've got, man! I can feel the heat!" She took a single step back and then fell sideways, letting the laser-blade fly past as she rolled away. She came up, returning her arms to normal.

Katsumi looked to the blue-haired girl., helping her up "You got a name?"

The girl blinked. Maybe she'd been a bit too abrupt. "Rumi. Rumi Saito."

"Your boyfriend there, he ever been knocked out?"

"He's not my…" Saito trailed off under Katsumi's glare. "Yes. Sometimes. He's in the Hero course."

"Katsumi," Kana said. "Are you thinking…?"

"Those blades of his shut off when it happened?" Katsumi pressed Saito for further details.

She swallowed hard, then nodded. "Yes. They're supposed to go off if he's not actively sustaining them."

Katsumi nodded. The guy was in danger of hurting someone and hurting himself if this kept up, and Toshi still wasn't back yet with help.

She'd be the first to admit, she wasn't a big thinker. She favored solutions that were simple and direct. Toshi would probably have tried talking this guy down. But from the look in his eyes and the steadily growing threat of the laser-blades, that wasn't an option. She wasn't exactly the most reassuring person either.

"For what it's worth," she told him, "I really am sorry about this."

His blades were still pointing out to the sides, so she had a good shot at this. Katsumi sprinted, closing the distance between herself and Haru quickly. He started to panic, letting out a scream and bringing his hands closer to his body. This caused his laser-blades to lash out and she jumped over them, narrowly missing having her legs sliced to pieces. She heard the sound of the blades meeting Kana's metal again and knew her friend had stepped in to protect the girl.

Katsumi crossed the remaining distance easily and threw a right cross that spun his head around and knocked his lights out. She heard someone scream. Probably Saito, given that Katsumi had just slugged her boyfriend. He let out a soft grunt and fell backwards, hitting the ground. When he did, his laser-blades went out. Toshi would probably have scolded her for taking such a gamble, but hey, she turned out to be right.

"Katsumi… did you just hit that guy?"

She looked back to see Toshi, along with Vice-Principal Midnight, Doctor Izumi, and Aizawa. Toshi looked surprised, Midnight and Doctor Izumi looked various stages of amused, and Aizawa looked like he was contemplating retirement so that he could be anywhere other than where he was right now. It was an expression Katsumi was already learning he made a lot.

"I suppose that was one way to handle it," Midnight said. "You're very direct, Kirishima-Bakugo."

She shrugged. "It worked, ma'am."

Midnight sucked in a breath and her eyes narrowed. She pointed an accusing finger. "_Never_ call me _ma'am_! I am not old enough to be a _ma'am_!"

"Nemuri, we're the same age," Aizawa said in a deadpan voice.

"Fine, then she can call you ma'am!" Midnight shouted, smacking Aizwa in the chest.

"Ow," he deadpanned.

Doctor Izumi cleared her throat. "Dad, if you and the Vice-Principal are through, perhaps I could examine Haru?"

"Of course," Midnight told her. "Your dear old dad here just loves to try and cut me down."

Katsumi frowned and she could see that Toshi was thinking too. "You people ever going to tell us what's going on?"

Aizawa gave her a blank look. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not stupid, Teach. And neither is Toshi. Between yesterday and today and that news thing with the big lizard…"

"And whatever happened on the Training Ground…" Toshi said.

"This has happened before?" Saito gasped.

"That was Yamaguchi," Kana said. "We were doing Battle Trials and her Vibration Quirk went out of control... She leveled the whole Training Ground. She still isn't back from the hospital."

Midnight and Aizawa shared a look. Katsumi was pretty sure they were debating whether or not to reveal something.

It was Aizawa who spoke first. "You're both too clever for your own good. But I suppose I shouldn't expect anything less from either of you. There's more going on than you know."

"They deserve to know, Dad," Doctor Izumi said, looking up from where she was examining Haru.

Midnight sighed. "She's right. We've been putting this off, but the students here deserve to know what's happening. It's going to go public soon enough anyway. I can convince Nezu."

Yeah, whatever was going on, Katsumi knew they weren't going to like the answer one bit.


	14. Chapter 13: Takuma Sero Gets a Date

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 13: Takuma Sero Makes a Show of It**

If there was one thing Takuma Sero liked about living in the dorms, it was the sense of privacy. Sure, there were fifteen other people living in the dorms, three others on his floor alone, but compared to his home, that was nothing. Between his parents, his three younger brothers, and his baby sister, there was always somebody trying to butt into whatever he was doing. At least on his floor, the only one even interested in what he was doing was his best bro, Kenta Sato. Daisuke Shoji simply kept his head down and Takiyo Aoyama had made it clear early on he had no interest in "whatever nonsense you two are getting up to."

As if trying to become the next internet sensations was nonsense.

Which reminded him… he really ought to check their hit counter. With Kirishima-Bakugo out of the cafeteria yesterday, he'd actually been free to host a new round of "Will Sato Eat It?" without fear of being exploded or having her tear his arms off. He was actually pretty certain she wouldn't do the last part. Their parents had been friends for decades and he was on reasonably good terms with her most of the time. But yesterday had been pretty impressive as far as the game went. Kenta had eaten a soup bowl, a baseball, a rock, and a tire that someone had somehow managed to get into the cafeteria.

Kenta's dad had broken it up after that, with a threat to report their antics to Aizawa if they kept doing it. _And_ Kenta had gotten a talking to from his dad later on about irresponsible Quirk use and making a spectacle of himself. At least the elder Sato had learned the futility of trying to rat them out to Takuma's parents. His mom was one of the most Instagram-famous Pro-Heroes in the business. She actively encouraged his aspirations. His dad was just vaguely puzzled by the whole thing and just let his mom take the lead.

Checking the video upload, he found that the hit counter was already in the thousands. Wisely, he opted not to look at the comments. It was like his mom always said, "Never read the comments." Sure, you got a validation high from some of it, but there were way too many trolls and mudslingers to make it worth it.

Takuma broke into a grin. "Yeah, we're gonna be famous. Just you see. Heroes and entertainment sensations."

He checked the time and found he still had nearly an hour before class. Plenty of time to finish getting ready. There was also the matter of homework he hadn't quite completed, but he could probably copy the answers from somebody, at least enough to squeak by. Math was going to be the death of him. He understood numbers well enough, but once you started getting letters involved with numbers, his brain just refused to track any of it. It had nearly sunk his entrance exam score, but he'd managed to just barely pass that. A good practical exam score had done wonders for making up the difference.

Twenty minutes later, he was out of his room and ready to go. He did not have the world's most developed fashion sense (much to the regret of Kimiko Ojiro, his _other_ best friend, who had declared him "the worst gay best friend ever" when he'd failed to provide her with what she deemed sufficient fashion advice), but he had an entertainer's sense for showmanship in his appearance. He spotted Kenta coming out of his room and gave him double finger guns.

"Sixty-five hundred hits in less than twenty-four hours, my man!"

"All right!" Kenta said, giving him a fist bump. "That's twice as many as the last video!" He let out a burp and clutched his stomach.

"You okay, man?" Takuma asked.

Kenta shook his head and burped again. "Heartburn and indigestion. Dad says just because I _can_ eat anything doesn't mean I _should_." He grinned, thick lips pulling back to reveal his perfectly white teeth. "But I say it's a small price to pay for being famous."

"More famous in your case," Takuma told him. Kenta was already a good bit famous from all the times he appeared in pictures and his stories on his father's "Food and Family" blog. According to his mom, it was crazy popular with single moms.

Kenta waved it off. "That's really Dad's thing. This is ours!"

Takuma was about to begin discussions of the plans for their next video when he was distracted by the sight of Daisuke Shoji walking back to his rooms, clearly having come from the showers. The six-armed boy was only wearing a towel wrapped around his waist, his silver hair still damp, and a small about of moisture still visible on the muscles of his arms and abs. He nodded politely to Takuma and Kenta on his way back to his room. Takuma kept watching until Shoji's door closed.

His trace was broken by Kenta giving him a small shove. "You okay there, bud? Kind of went away for a little while?"

He sighed. "Why are the hot ones always straight?"

Kenta gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Hey, there's lots of other guys at U.A. You'll find somebody. Or you could always try online dating?"

Takuma made a face. "I'm not that desperate."

Anything further was interrupted by his and Kenta's phones buzzing. Both checked and saw they had identical texts from the school's emergency alert system.

**Homeroom has been cancelled. All first-year students should report to the Gran Torino Memorial Auditorium at 0800.**

Kenta gave him a curious look.

"Don't look at me, man," he said quickly. "I haven't broken any rules that would cause a grade level assembly."

"This school year," Kenta said. "I still can't believe the time you…"

"Don't remind me. I'm still barely out of being grounded for that."

"I think that was the first time I ever actually saw your parents punish you."

"Oh, would you look at the time, we should really be getting to the Auditorium!"

"Any idea what this is about, Takuma?" Kimiko asked. He assumed she was looking at him, but honestly, even after having known her all his life, it was hard to tell.

He shook his head. "Beats the heck out of me."

All around, the other seats in the Auditorium were filling up with the first year students. There were the three Heroics classes, three General Ed classes, three Support classes, and three Business and Management classes. Sixteen students each in the Heroics, twenty in each of the others, for two hundred twenty-eight students in total, which left the auditorium about half full.

Down on the stage, he could see the majority of the teaching staff. There were the three Heroics Homeroom teachers, Aizawa, Super Ball, and Battle Fist. There was Power Loader, the aging director of the Support courses. Word around campus was that he was considering retirement after experiencing the Iida Twins. And there was FireFox, their math teacher; Hawkeye, their English teacher; Figure Sk8, the dark-haired daughter of the Twins and Izumi's uncle and aunt, who taught their Science classes; Skyline, an American, the son of American ex-pat Captain Celebrity, who had been raised in Japan and was their Hero Art History teacher; and Hopper, Tokoyami's uncle and their Literature teacher. There was Hound Dog, the school counselor, Vice-Principal Midnight, and even Kenta's dad. He also spotted Doctor Izumi sitting with her husband, Kota, the Rescue Hero and Rescue Instructor called Water Spout (or, at his mom embarrassingly always referred to him, "the first man to see me naked") There was also All Might, and several teachers he didn't know, who he presumed taught some of the classes taken by the other courses. Whatever this was about, they were taking it very seriously.

And slowly approaching the podium, leaning heavily on his cane, was Principal Nezu. Takuma wasn't sure if he was a rat or a bear or possibly some kind of creature from Australia (or was it Austria? Whichever one had the kangaroos. Those were real, right?), but he understood that the old animal was crazy smart. He'd guided U.A. through some of its roughest years and managed to still come out on top.

"I am sorry to interrupt your usual class schedule," Nezu began. "I know your studies are of great importance to you all. But after the events of the last few days, both here at our school and elsewhere, we have been made aware of events which you all deserve to know. The Center for Quirk Research is expected to make a statement later this morning, but we thought it might be best if comes from us."

He took in a breath and continued. "The CQR has discovered, working in conjunction with several Pro-Heroes, the existence of a virus which causes the victim to lose control of their Quirk. It appears the virus is… man made."

Any side conversations that had been going on were immediately silenced.

Nezu went on. "After an as yet unknown incubation period, it causes a power-flare up during which time the user's Quirk will activate out of their control. This lack of control appears to last an indefinite amount of time, but appears to be a onetime flare up. Unfortunately, even though the number of cases are growing, information is scarce. There appear to be no obvious early symptoms and we are unsure how the virus is being transmitted. At this time, it appears that only Emitter and Transformation type Quirks are effected."

A ripple went through the crowd as the full impact of the Principal's statement took effect. Anything that could do that is dangerous indeed. From the time they were young, they'd always been taught about the importance of controlling their Quirks. And now something could just take that away…

"That's… that's not good," Takuma said. Absently, he rubbed the patches on his right hand where his Acid Tape came from. His Quirk was technically a Mutation type, since he had slightly different physical structures to allow for it. But his mom was an Emitter type, so were many of his friends. So were a _lot_ of people out there in the world. And there were lots of people out there with really powerful Quirks. What if somebody like Ground Zero or Deku caught this thing?

"We're… we're okay," he heard Kimiko say. "Not… not like I can get more invisible."

"Hey," Kenta said, "it's gonna be okay. People're smart. They'll get this figured out." Kenta's dad was an Emitter type too, he recalled, even if Kenta's own Quirk was a very minor Mutant type.

Nezu continued, "We are able to run tests for the virus and will be doing screening following this assembly. However, as there are no tell-tale symptoms prior to manifestation, we urge you to talk to your teachers or Doctor Izumi should you have any concerns. We will be doing everything we can to protect you, which includes providing you as with much of your usual structure as possible. Classes, including Heroics courses, will continue as normal. Rest assured, everyone is doing everything they can to get to the bottom of this. But at this point, cases are isolated and sporadic. We advise caution, but there is no need to panic."

Takuma made it a point to never take life seriously. But for once, that didn't seem like such a good idea.

"You heard what the Principal said," Aizawa said, after they had returned to the classroom. "The moment you feel _anything_ out of the ordinary or even suspect that something might be wrong, I expect you to tell me or another teacher. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Mister Aizawa," the class said, nearly as one.

"Good," Aizawa said. "Now, we are going to proceed as normally as possible. Which means we have a little bit of business to settle. Choose a class representative. I don't care how." He zipped himself into his sleeping bag and disappeared behind his desk.

"Well," Midoriya said, "I think we should probably vote on it?"

"I vote Toshi!" Shota Shinso cried out.

"Toshi," Asuka Tokoyami agreed.

"I've got to go with Midoriya too," Isamu Haimawari said.

"Toshi has my vote as well," Izumi Todoroki added.

"Guys… Shouldn't this be a secret ballot?" Midoriya asked quickly.

"Too late now," Takuma said. "Besides, I think we all know you're gonna win it."

As much as he loved the spotlight, he loathed responsibility. Better Midoriya than him any day. Besides, it would take away from his own pursuits. And Midoriya really was good at taking charge and helping people who needed it. Guy wanted to help the whole world, even more than the average Hero-in-Training.

"Personally, I think _moi_ would be best," Takiyo Aoyama said.

"Oh, give it up, Frenchie," Mika Mineta told him. "Midoriya's definitely the best shot at this."

"I fear I must agree with the rest," Akaya Koda told Aoyama. She really seemed to be one of the few people who could stand the arrogant blond for more than a few minutes. She must have had the patience of a saint.

"Going with Midoriya here too," Kenta said.

"Yep, me too," Chihiro Kaminari added. "And Tokoyami for vice-rep while we're at it."

"I like those ideas!" Kimiko said. "Both of them!"

"Makes sense to me," Shoji said.

"This is highly against protocol," Tensei Iida said. "But I cannot argue with the consensus either."

"My younger brother is correct," Sora Iida said. "I agree with the conclusions drawn."

"You really must stop using that qualifier! I am only younger by three minutes!"

"It is scientifically accurate! Do you dispute this?"

"It is needlessly semantic, and yet I cannot argue with the precision!"

"If I agree, will it shut them up?" Katsumi Kirishima-Bakugo asked.

Motion was carried. Midoriya and Tokoyami were their class reps.

Takuma belatedly realized that probably gave them some kind of power of his and Kenta's antics, but that was their problem, not his. Besides, it was worth it to see Aoyama pout.

"Hua-whah!" Even though Takuma had practiced swinging from building to building by using his Acid Tape many times with his dad, doing it always made him feel like his stomach was going to flop out of his mouth. It didn't help that his Quirk was more complicated than his dad's. The elder Sero only had to think about shooting out his Tape until it hit something. Takuma's Acid Tape meant that he had to be continually concentrating both on dispensing more tape and on maintaining its properties. Since he could make it anything from slick to sticky to acidic, that meant he had to do a lot more concentrating. And doing that while ten stories up made it all the more problematic.

It was supposed to be a simple Heroics exercise in cityscape navigation. All they had to do was make it from one end of the faux-cityscape as quickly as they could. For quite a few, like Kimiko, Kenta, or Koda, there wasn't much more they could do than run as fast as they could. Others were doing a much more impressive job. Midoriya was bouncing with leaps that were easily carrying him, the Iida Twins were blasting through the air, and Haimawari was zipping through the streets. And somehow, Kirishima-Bakugo had gotten herself up on the rooftops and was parkour-ing herself through the course.

Takuma let himself go flying through the air for a moment, before shooting out another strand of Acid Tape. It stuck to the fire escape and as he began to swing, he could feel something go wrong. With a sickening sound of tearing metal, the piece of the fire escape he had snagged with his tape snapped and broke, sending him falling!

He shot out another strand of Acid Tape, trying to save himself, but instead of snagging a lower portion of the fire escape, it melted right through it. He'd made it too acidic! He was gonna die! He was never gonna reach a million followers! Involuntarily, he felt his eyes close.

And just as suddenly, powerful arms caught him and he was rising. So he was dead then, and the angels were carrying him away. Good-bye world, he only regretted that he not let more of you gaze upon his awesomeness…

"Are you all right, Sero?" a voice asked. "I was afraid I would not be able to match your falling speed without causing you injury, but I believe I was able to calculate something close enough…"

An angel who apparently sounded just like Tensei Iida. He chanced opening his eyes and the first thing he saw was himself, reflected in the chest plate of Iida's costume. Looking up, he saw a silver helmet. Definitely Iida. Which meant he wasn't dead? He was alive! He could still get that million followers!

"Sero?" Iida repeated. "Are you all right?" He slowly started reducing power in his jets, letting them drift downward.

Oh, right. He needed to answer his rescuing angel's questions. "Oh, ah, yeah, I'm fine," he said, finding himself stumbling over his words. "You really saved my ass, there, Iida. Thanks."

"Of course," Iida said. "As your friend and classmate, not to mention as an aspiring Hero, it is my duty."

"Well, right now, you're my hero, Iida."

Inwardly, he groaned. Was he really saying something that stupid? Apparently, he was. At least Kimiko and Kenta weren't there to hear it. They'd never let him hear the end of it.

The Iida Twins could be found in the Common Room, pouring over blueprints. Usually, the Twins spent whatever free time they had in the Support Workshop, but according to Sora, Power Loader had kicked them out under out under threat of unspecified punishment, all because they had "accidentally used too much power and caused a few small explosions and fires." So the two had returned to the dorms instead to work on what they could.

Takuma, Kenta, and Kimiko peered from around the corner at them.

"This is a really dumb idea," Takuma said. "And I know all about dumb ideas."

"If you were doing this for me," Kenta said, "you'd be making your "good idea" face. The one that always means it's something that's going to get us in trouble."

"Besides," Kimiko said, "this is for romance! We've got to! You're cute, he's hot, you're pink, he's got pink hair, I'm gonna call you Pinky-Squared!"

"We don't even know if he likes guys! He could be into girls! Or machines! I'm gonna make a fool of myself!"

Kimiko slapped him upside the head. "That's loser talk!"

"You want us to film it?" Kenta asked. "You're good in front of a camera."

Takuma went a paler shade of pink. "…No. Definitely not. I do not need this preserved for posterity if it all goes south."

"Look, this is the most romantic thing to happen since school started," Kimiko told him. "So you are _not chickening out now_! Kenta and I are going to get Sora out of the room and you are going to _ask Tensei_ _out_! Do you understand!?"

How someone whose face he couldn't see could have such an intense glare, he didn't know, but her tone suggested that there was no arguing with her.

"Yes," he said. "Let's do this!"

_I can't do this!_

With Sora out of the room (he was so stressed he literally could not remember what excuse Kenta and Kimiko had used to get her out of there and he had seen it literally seconds ago), Takuma was free to make his move. His smooth move. His ever so smooth move. He was the king of smooth.

He was not smooth.

As casually as he could, he approached the table where Tensei was still working. "Oh, ah, hey, Iida," he said. "Ah, thanks again for saving me like that. Pretty sure I was on my way to being a pile of pink goo."

"The fall was not nearly enough to reduce you to goo," Iida said, looking up from his blueprints. "But it would have been very messy all the same. I am happy I was able to prevent that."

He rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, well, either way, I appreciate it." He frowned, trying to think of how best to proceed. "So, uh, what are you working on?"

A very crazed (and very attractive) grin spread its way across Tensei's face. "Modifications to Sora's and my Hero costumes. After training yesterday, we came up with several potential ideas to improve performance and work with our Quirks, such as a more adjustable wing system and potential storage for emergency supplies of apple and grape juice."

"And that exploded?"

"Oh, no," Iida said. "That was the idea for a capture-weapon to add as an additional support item. We may have made the propulsion element a little too strong. Power Loader apparently believed that we would benefit from some time away. But I do not see how we can improve our designs to their fullest without practical, hands on work. And we cannot do that if we are banned from the workshop for a week."

"That sucks, man," Takuma agreed. It'd be like someone telling him he couldn't upload stuff to the 'net. A guy had to have a passion, after all. "But, ah, I guess that means you're gonna have some free time?"

Iida frowned. "Unfortunately, yes. There is only so much we can do without the space to put theory into practice."

Okay, it was now or never. He could be brave! He had this!

…He didn't have this!

He had this!

He didn't have this!

He had this!

"So, um…," he said, "if you're gonna have the free time… maybe you'dlikespendingsomeofitwithmesomewhere?"

Iida blinked. "I… don't think I caught that, Sero."

He took a deep breath. "I was thinking, if you were gonna have free time anyway… maybe you'd want to spend some of it with me? Somewhere? Like a date?"

Iida's eyes widened in surprise and for once, it looked like he was at a loss for words. "I… I would like that very much, Sero."

He had this!


	15. Chapter 14: Sora Iida Takes Off

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 14: Sora Iida Takes Off**

"For the record," Sora shouted after Kenta Sato and Kimiko Ojiro, "being unable to access the Wi-Fi does not constitute a "science emergency!" I am not your tech support!"

Honestly! All Ojiro had done was turn the Wi-Fi functionality off on her phone. Hardly a science emergency and definitely not worth the urgency with which she and Sato had demanded that she come with them. In fact, there was no reason why she should have had to leave the room in the first place.

Clearly, something was going on. Shenanigans were afoot! But what? With all respect to the two of them as her friends and future Heroes, neither Sato nor Ojiro were clever enough to be the primary suspect in anything. But they were usually to be found in the company of Takuma Sero, who possessed the rather unique ability to be rather clever and rather stupid at the same time when it came to getting into trouble. Perhaps he had spearheaded something while the other two distracted her? But what? And why would they not distract her younger brother as well?

These were questions that she clearly was going to get no answer to until she had additional data. Then again, she had multiple projects of her own to work on and there had been no sign of any damage to anything. Perhaps she was better off ignoring it, so long as they did not cause any apparent disruptions? It would mean a return to the designs she and Tensei were working on.

Yes, perhaps that was best.

Sora returned to the Common Room to find Tensei sitting at the table she had left him, looking up with the kind of grin that was usually reserved for a very serious breakthrough in design, one with only a very small number of explosions and minimal property damage.

"Brother?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. "Did something happen while I was gone? Did you figure out how to reduce the thrust multiplier to a manageable size?"

He continued staring ahead for a moment, though from the look in his eyes, she could tell his thoughts were moving quite rapidly. Their mother got the same look fairly often, and from what their father had said, so did she and her brother. According to Father, the only trick to bringing any of them out of it was a sudden shock.

"Oh, _younger_ brother," she trilled.

That brought Tensei to attention, his eyes narrowing as they focused on her. "While that is factually correct, it is only a matter of minutes! The data is statistically irrelevant under most circumstance!"

She offered him a somewhat apologetic nod. He was easy to get riled up. Not quite as easy as Father, but few people were. Their mother could do it with just a slight change of expression. "It was necessary. You were quite clearly lost in thought and I did not wish to wait for you to come out of it on your own."

"I was not…" Tensei trailed off, starting to stand. Halfway though, he sat back down. "Forgive me, Sister," he said. "I was indeed lost in thought. Much has occurred since you left the room and I am still uncertain of how to process it all."

"Elaborate," she said. "Did Sero do something? He was not with his usual collaborators."

"It was Sero," Tensei told her. "He wished to thank me for saving his life earlier."

That was perfectly logical, but it did not make sense with the deception. "Commendable," she said. "But that does not explain why Ojiro and Sato felt the need to remove me from the room before he did."

Tensei smiled again. "There was more. He asked if I wished to engage in a one-on-one activity with him this weekend. I accepted."

"Oh, well then, that is…"

Wait.

She stopped and replayed the words he had just said in her mind. "Are you telling me, you have a _date_?"

More information assembled itself in her brain. "With _Sero_?"

Tensei nodded. "I do."

"I am very happy for you, Brother," Sora said.

She realized it was the first lie she had ever told him.

"Kirishima-Bakugo!" Sora shouted, arms flailing through the air as she entered Kirishima-Bakugo's room. "I require advice!"

Kirishima-Bakugo looked up from her chair, where she was lifting small weights. She gave Sora a long, penetrating stare. Perhaps it was meant to be some form of communication? Was it code? She could crack that if she applied enough thought.

Somehow dissatisfied with Sora's response, Kirishima-Bakugo finally spoke. "…And you're coming to me, why, exactly? Isn't this more Tokoyami's bag? Or Toshi? Or Izzy? Besides, I thought you usually talked things through that brother of yours."

Sora frowned. "Unfortunately, this concerns my brother, so I am unable to request his advice on the matter."

"That still doesn't explain why you came to me. We ain't exactly best friends or anything." A pause. "And it's not like I'm exactly known for making the best decisions."

"Those are true statements," Sora admitted. "But Tokoyami, Izumi, and Toshi are occupied with their study group with Shinso and Haimawari. I did not wish to interrupt. I know we are not close, but I would appreciate council all the same."

Kirishima-Bakugo finally set down her weight. "This have anything to do with your brother getting a date with Sero?"

Sora felt her eyes go wide. "How do you know that? I only just learned moments ago!"

The blonde, muscular girl laughed at that. "You do remember Ojiro was involved, right? Once she knew it, assume everyone who exists, did exist, and will exist knows."

She picked up her phone and called up a post from a social media site. It showed a picture of a happy if somewhat shell-shocked Sero with the caption "My BFF ( Takuma_Sero) just scored himself a date with Tensei Iida! I'm so proud of him! And Iida is such a hottie! So jealous!"

Sora stared at it for a moment. "That was fast."

"So what's up?" Kirishima-Bakugo asked. "Just don't tell me you were crushing on Sero. Because that would have really been barking up the wrong tree."

She shook her head. They had all known Sero was gay for some time; he made no secret of it. She had known Tensei was as well, of course, though she was uncertain how many of the others did. He did not really speak of romantic or lustful inclinations one way or the other. Like her, machines and intellectual challenges were typically his first priority.

"No, nothing like that. It is just…" Sora trailed off, waving her hands in the air in awkward gestures.

"I'm gonna need words, Jetset. My Quirk ain't mind reading."

Strange. She could usually articulate her ideas quite clearly. Or at least, clearly enough that her brother and mother could understand. Other people sometimes did have a hard time following her. But words were not usually a problem.

She tried again. "Tensei and I are twins."

Kirishima-Bakugo raised an eyebrow. "And water is wet."

"It is just… I should be happy for him. It is good that he has found someone to spend time with, someone he might like. But for some reason, I am not."

For a long moment, Kirishima-Bakugo stared at her again. Then, a strange, amused grin finally crossed her face. "I always wondered what would happen when one of you left the nest."

She stood and rubbed Sora's hair vigorously. "You're _jealous_, Jetset."

Sora pulled back, running a hand over her blue-black hair to smooth it back down. "I am sorry, but… what?"

Kirishima-Bakugo flopped back in her chair, still grinning. "You," she said, "are _jealous_. That someone who's not you is getting to spend time with your brother."

"No, that cannot be it," Sora said, looking down. And yet… The data point introduced by Kirishima-Bakugo completely recontextualized the data points she had already gathered about the situation. Her reluctance to be happy about the situation, a nagging concern in the back of her mind that she could not name…

"We have always done everything together," she went on. "We have the same Quirk, we have the same interests, we understand each other well enough that we can practically read the other's thoughts. I cannot remember a time we have every spent more than a few hours apart."

"You do know they're not getting married or nothing, right? This might not even work out."

She was aware of that, wasn't she? And it was not realistic to expect that her brother spend his every second with her. He already did not do that; they had to sleep sometimes, after all. Not at much as most people would probably prefer they do, but that was an argument for another time. But they typically did spend the majority of their waking hours together. Two minds and four hands made for lighter, smarter work, after all.

Sora was a woman of science. She had been taught from a young age to hypothesize, experiment, analyze the data, and come to a conclusion, even if the results were not the ones you wanted. The walls of their home had several scorch marks that attested to that.

She became aware of Kirishima-Bakugo snapping her fingers in her face. "You went away there for a little while, Jetset."

"I am sorry," Sora said. "But I think, Kirishima-Bakugo, you are right."

"Say that again."

"'You are right'?"

She grinned. "I just wanted one of you eggheads to admit that for once."

Kirishima-Bakugo went on, "Look. My own personal life's kind of a mess right now. And I really ain't the person with answers. But the way I see it, being a little jealous ain't terrible. Letting it take over, letting it get in the way of you and your brother, that'd be terrible. I know I'd hate it if I let something come between Tai and me."

Sora nodded. Her jealousy was an understandable factor. But one she could control. There was no reason to deny her brother a chance at some happiness. She would hope he would do the same for her.

"I… Thank you," she said. "You have given me a lot to think about."

Kirishima-Bakugo nodded. "Yeah, well, you're not the only one who can use their head. 'sides... Just think of how he might feel when you find some guy to ask out. Or girl. Or whoever. If that's your thing."

"Oh," she said, "I suppose that would be rather hypocritical of me. Especially as I like…"

Kirishima-Bakugo held up both hands. "Nope, don't wanna know. I got enough going on without getting you even more sorted out. I already know more about you than I needed to."

"Still," Sora said, "I must thank you. This was a very clarifying discussion." She held out her arms, awkwardly. "Social convention tells me I should hug you now."

"…Let's skip that, okay?"

When Sora went to find her brother, he was not in his room. Thankfully, Kaminari had seen him going up to the roof and let her know this. She first went down to the Common Room to grab bottles of grape and apple juice from the fridge, then went up to join him.

Tensei was standing near the edge of the roof, looking up at the stars. "Brother?" she asked. "Are you nervous about your date? It is soon? Where are you going? I demand additional information!"

He turned and smiled, accepting the bottle of apple juice that she offered him, taking a long swig before he answered. "I am filled with uncertainty. This is my first date ever and I feel incredibly unprepared. But Sero has suggested this Saturday and going for a quick dinner and to the arcade downtown. He seems experienced enough in these matters, so I agreed with his plans."

She took a drink of her own apple juice. "If I could offer you advice, I would," she said, "but my dating experiences are no different than your own."

"Do you suppose I should ask Father for advice?"

Sora shook her head. "I think we both know that would useless. Mother always says that she had to get Aunt Mina and Aunt Toru to explain her interest in him to him before he understood. Though he claims they were overly direct about it."

This got a laugh out of him. "This is true. Though I am uncertain as to what they could have said to fluster him so."

Sora shrugged. "I am afraid I have no idea."

She frowned. The two of them had always been open and honest with each other. Now was not time to change that. Even if her opinion on the situation had changed, he deserved to know her full thoughts on the matter.

Tensei noticed. "You seem preoccupied, Sister."

She finished her juice before she spoke, feeling it fueling her body and her Quirk. It was a warmth, spreading through the rest of her, concentrating itself in the jet engines on her back. "I told you I was happy for you when you told me you had a date. And I am, now. But when I told you that, I was lying."

His eyes widened. "You were? But why?"

"I was jealous," she said. "I was afraid if you were spending time with Sero, we would have less time together. And I realize that this is still true. But that does not make it wrong. We are twins and always will be. But that does not mean we cannot have our own lives as well."

"As if I could ever forget about you," Tensei said. "You are my sister. I will always try to make time for you. But I am also inexperienced in the requirements of other relationships. So if I fail to achieve balance, I will be relying upon you to set things right."

She nodded. "Of course I will. Can you forgive me my jealousy?"

"Of course!"

"And," Sora said, "you will do the same for me, should I ever pursue a romantic relationship?"

"Certainly," he said. "Though as your brother, I am obliged to threaten any boy you might be interested in with bodily harm, should he be anything less than a gentleman to you."

"And as your _older_ sibling, I should remind you that the responsibilities of protecting the _younger_ sibling from their romantic partner falls to me. Perhaps I should be pre-emptively defending your honor with Sero with threats of violence!"

"You are older by only three minutes! That is a statistical rounding error!"

"Nevertheless, it is still factual and precise!"

"I am not having this argument again!"

"Because you are losing!"

"I do not concede that!"

"The facts do not care about whether or not you accept them, they simply are!"

Tensei gave her a curious look, as he put data points together. "For the sake of being prepared to defend your honor, is there anyone you have romantic interest in?"

He always shifted topics when he knew her logic had defeated him. Well, she had already nearly told one person tonight, perhaps she ought to tell someone for real…

"Both of you go inside! It's after curfew!"

Sora peered over the edge of the roof, spotting Aizawa down on the ground, patrolling the school grounds.

"How _does_ he do that?" Tensei asked. "His vision should not be that good."

Sora shook her head. "If I have learned anything so far this week, it is that Mister Aizawa is a statistically anomaly all his own."

Sora returned Tensei to his room and was on her way back to hers when she saw Toshi coming from the stairwell. Mostly likely, he had finished his study session with Tokoyami, Izumi, and the rest. Even in his casual wear, his muscles were readily apparent.

"Oh, hey, Sora," he said. "How're you taking being lab-banned?"

She frowned. "It is going," she said. "A week is a long time to be away from the Support Workshop."

"Well, you did kind of blow it up…"

"Only a little! We put the fires out very quickly!"

Toshi put up his hands in an apologetic gesture. "Okay, okay, just a little exploding. I'm sure it was fine."

"It was," Sora insisted. "But Power Loader did not see it that way. After he was done banning us, I saw him break into the bottle he keeps in his desk for "emergencies." Whatever that might be."

Toshi blinked slowly for a moment, looking at though he might say something about that, then shrugged. "Well, I'm sure it will pass pretty quick. We've got plenty of Hero stuff to keep us busy. We're going out to the USJ next week, after all. Uncle Kota says he's got some really special stuff planned!"

"That is good," she replied. Though she was not completely without worry about it. They all knew what had happened during their parents' first visit to the USJ. While they all knew the likelihood of anything like that happening to them was amazingly slim. The various members of the League of Villains from that time were either dead or in prison. Nevertheless between who they were and what else was going on in the world, the school was taking a great number of precautious.

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm really excited for it."

Indeed, she could see the excitement already in his green eyes. It was an aesthetically pleasing look on him, especially when he smiled.

"It promises to be an interesting experience," she agreed. "Though I am not as certain as to how well I will perform at rescue work. I can certainly catch falling people, as my brother did for Sero earlier today, but much of it requires more delicate work than my Quirk allows."

"That was a good catch," Toshi agreed. "But don't sell yourself short either. The right Quirk in the right place at the right time can make a big difference, sure. But you and your brother are way more than just flying around. You're both crazy smart. That's important too."

Sora felt her cheeks redden slightly. "You are too kind, Toshi," she said.

"Yeah, well," he said, rubbing the back of his hair, messing up his green hair. "It's true."

"Thank you," she said again. Perhaps there were better words here. But she still felt as though the time was not quite right. Not when she was still battling down the last vestiges of jealousy. "I will keep that in mind."

He smiled again. "Good," he said. "See you in the morning then?"

She nodded. "In the morning. Good night, Toshi."

"Good night, Sora."

She headed back to the stairwell to head back to her own room. She definitely required further data points before proceeding. Perhaps she could interrogate Tokoyami, Shinso, or Izumi for more information before she put a plan of action into effect…


	16. Chapter 15: Kenta Sato and Moving On

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 15: Kenta Sato and the Pain of Memories and Moving On**

_Many years ago…_

"_Kenta," Takuma asked, "can I ask a question?"_

_He looked up from his bowl of cereal. Ever since his Quirk came in, he hasn't had to worry about getting cavities, so he can eat all the sugary cereal he wants. "Sure," he said. _

"_Do you miss your mommy?"_

_Kenta looked down again. "All the time. But Daddy says she's always watching me."_

"_Oh," Takuma said. His face twisted into what, in later years, Kenta would call his "Good Idea" face. "Do you think you could ask her not to watch for a little while? I don't think she's going to like my idea…"_

"…_I'll ask her to watch Daddy for a little while."_

In spite of a somewhat eventful Monday through Thursday, Friday had passed without incident, and Kenta had left the school grounds early on Saturday morning to head to the apartment he shared with his dad. It wasn't particularly far, as they had moved to it to be fairly close to U.A. when he had accepted the job running the cafeteria.

Kenta turned the key and stepped inside. "Dad? I'm home!"

No voice answered him, but he knew that sometimes, his dad got so focused working in the kitchen that he didn't hear anything else. Kenta headed there, but found no sign of his dad. There was, however, a note on the counter.

_Kenta,_

_Went out to pick up a few extra ingredients for tonight's dinner and dessert. Left you some breakfast on the counter. Be back soon!_

_Love,_

_Dad_

Oh, well, that was good. But speaking of food, his rumbling stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten breakfast before he'd left the dorms. On the counter was a bowl of nuts and bolts. It brought a grin to Kenta's face. Dad may have occasionally groused about the eating habits he'd developed because of his Quirk ("A house full of food and the kid's eating rocks!"), but he was indulgent enough to keep the kinds of things Kenta liked to eat on hand. He popped a few nuts into his mouth and chewed them up.

Maybe his wasn't the flashiest or most impressive of Quirks, but he'd done good enough with it to get into the Heroics Course. Besides, it meant that a snack was always in arms' reach.

He noticed that his dad's cell phone was also sitting on the counter. He must have forgotten it when he left. It looked like a number of texts had come in since he'd left.

**Koda: Please call me if you need me today, Sato.**

**Kirishima: Katsuki and I are thinking of you, bro!**

**Ojiro: Hope you're doing all right. Toru and I are keeping you in our thoughts.**

**Sero: Hey, man. I'm sorry about Mina. She means well, but she can be kind of insensitive sometimes. Let us know if you need anything!**

**Midoria: I know you're spending the day with Kenta, but just let us know if you want to get together sometime after that!**

**Iida: Please accept my deepest sympathies and know Mei and I are keeping you in our thoughts.**

**Habuko: I'll see you there today. Be well**.

**Pink Trouble: Sato, I'm not sorry about what I said. But I am sorry about the timing of it. Call me. Please.**

Kenta felt a little guilty reading his dad's texts, but considering they were right there to be seen, it wasn't much. But now he was curious. What exactly had Aunt Mina said? It looked like she and his dad were fighting. But what about? The other texts, at least, weren't unexpected. There were probably more that had come in earlier in the day. Kenta had been lucky enough to get out of the dorms without running into anyone other than Takuma (who'd hugged him), Midoriya (who'd expressed sympathy) and Kirishima-Bakugo (who'd given him a polite nod that was the emotional equivalent of a long conversation for her). It was not that he was deliberately trying to avoid his friends and classmates, just… today was rough.

The anniversary of the day his mom had died always was. It had been ten years now. And it still didn't seem any easier.

Rikido Sato had first met Chizu Ito via a conspiracy. She had been a friend of Habuko Mongoose at Isamu Academy, and Mongoose had been the good friend of his father's friend Tsuyu Asui. So when several of the girls of Isamu Academy had gotten together for a party with the girls of U.A., Aunt Tsu had asked his dad to provide the desserts. He'd meant to just drop the desserts off and go, but Aunt Tsu and Mongoose had both insisted he stay and meet some of the girls. They'd been incredibly insistent that he meet Chizu.

The two had hit it off and made plans for a date. One date turned into many, and many turned into marriage. Years later, Aunt Tsu would reveal she and Mongoose had conspired to get the two to meet, believing that they would hit it off. They had been very happy.

His mom had been a tall woman, taller even than his dad, with big, bright orange hair. Her Quirk had been a strong one, letting her absorb inorganic matter and using that to increase her mass and strength. He didn't have many memories of her, but what memories he had were of a happy woman, with a glowing smile. He remembered her hands were soft, soothing as she held him after a nightmare, her touch gentle when she patched up his "ouchies." He remembered his parents laughing in the kitchen, or snuggling on the couch, sneaking kisses when they thought he wasn't looking.

After he'd been born, his parents had decided that while his mom would resume active Hero work, his dad would mostly step back from that. Lunch Rush was retiring, U.A. was looking for a new head chef to run the cafeteria, and both of them were a little bit worried about what might happen if both of them were active Heroes. While that didn't seem to matter to the majority of their friends, no one dismissed their worries or thought less of him for taking a step back. He still went out on occasion when needed, or stepped in where he was available to act, but he devoted himself more to community outreach and the students of U.A. So Upsize had risen back in the rankings, eventually becoming the Number Twenty Hero, and Sugarman had happily dropped to the lower tiers.

They'd have a good life. They'd been a happy family.

He had been five when she'd died.

No, that wasn't exactly right.

He had been five when she'd been killed.

It had been bad times. A new League of Villains had tried to get off the ground, and the Pro-Hero community had been working nonstop to put them out of commission before anything serious could happen. They hadn't been the nihilistic League of old that their parents had fought, just a bunch of Villains who had found they were stronger together than apart, and who were willing to settle for smaller piece of a more guaranteed pie. But they had been a serious threat all the same. Their Quirks had been powerful and many Pro-Heroes had been seriously injured fighting them.

It had come down to a big battle between the League and several Pro-Heroes, including Red Riot, Real Steel, and Chargebolt. Including Upsize.

To say the battle between the two groups had been brutal was an understatement. The villain known as Strongarm had nearly beaten Red Riot to death. Kirishima-Bakugo's father was lucky to have survived his injuries, let alone have recovered from them enough to return to active Hero work. Uncle Denki still carried a few scars from that fight.

And his mom… His mom had fought a Villain called Hexsplode, who a Quirk which let her shoot beams from her eyes that made whatever it hit explode after a few moments. In a terrible set of circumstances, she'd managed to use that power on a piece of rubble, just as his mom had absorbed it. It had exploded within her, badly injuring her. She had fought on, subduing the Villain before she could hurt anyone else in that fight. But her injuries had been too severe and she'd died before she could receive medical attention. They'd never even gotten the chance to say good-bye.

It was called Valhalla Cemetery and everyone buried in it was a Pro-Hero. Many had fallen in the line of duty, others of disease or natural causes. But all of them had used their Quirks in the cause of justice. Grand Torino was buried here, so was Native, and so were many others.

And so was his mom.

Kenta and his dad walked silently through the rows of headstones and memorials, occasionally pausing to pay respect to another Pro-Hero. There were so many graves and his mom was quite far back.

It wasn't the fanciest headstone in the cemetery, but like everything there, it was well cared for. There were a few small tokens left on or around it, from people his mom had saved during her all too brief stint as a Pro-Hero. There was already someone standing in front of the headstone and Kenta quickly realized it was Aunt Habuko, instantly recognizable from her shock of red hair and snake-like head. According to his parents, he'd found her absolutely terrifying as a baby, but the only memories he had of her were happy ones. She was surprisingly funny when she wanted to be, and caring in spite of her harsh appearance.

Her tongue flicked out and she turned her head to watch the two of them. "Hello, Rikido, Kenta. I didn't expect to beat you here."

"My fault," his dad said. "I had to go out and pick up a few things and was running behind."

She nodded, accepting the explanation without criticism.

They stood and looked at the grave.

Chizu Sato

-Upsize-

5/19/XXXX – 4/8/XXXX

Beloved wife and mother, Hero

His dad laid a hand on the headstone and lowered his head. Kenta could see the tears in his eyes falling unashamedly. "I miss you, babe," he said. "Every day. Thank you, for everything. Never did think a girl could fall for a big lug like me. You made every day amazing.

"You'd be so proud of Kenta. He got into U.A., just like me. He's gonna make us both proud, I just know it. Though if you're watching out for him, maybe tell him not to listen to Takuma so much, okay?"

In spite of himself, Kenta felt the smallest smile pull at his lips. It felt good to know his dad was proud of him. But he found tears were falling from his own eyes too. He'd been so young when she'd died. Their home was filled with pictures of him and his mom, of his dad and mom, and of all three of them. There were lots of videos they had shot over the years. And even one memorable episode of _Cooking with Pro Heroes_ that had featured his mom and dad competing against other Pro Hero couples (including Kirishima-Bakugo's dads, which had resulted in Bakugo rather hilariously exploding the stove).

But sometimes, he found it harder and harder to remember her voice. His dad had gone an amazing job raising him, dealing with all the challenges that had arisen over the years. But all his friends still had their mothers, and he remembered how much it had hurt sometimes, to see them with their moms, knowing he didn't have one anymore. He remembered…

"_Daddy?" he'd asked, when his father had come to pick him up. He'd been staying with Uncle Koji and Aunt Ibara, playing with Akaya. It was earlier than expected, his dad should have still been at U.A. for the day. His dad's eyes were red and puffy, like he'd been crying._

"_Daddy, are you okay?" he'd asked. And where was his mom? Usually, they picked him up together._

_His dad had bent down next to him, pulling him into a tight hug against his broad chest._

"_Kenta…" he'd said, trailing off. "Kenta…"_

_His dad had taken a deep breath, and tried again. "Kenta… I'm… I'm so sorry. Your mommy's not coming home."_

_That hadn't made much sense to him. "Is she working late? Does she gotta stop the bad guys?"_

_His father's face had fallen, tears welling up in his eyes. "Kenta… Your mommy's not coming home ever again. I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"_

_He hadn't understood then, but he'd known how brave his dad was. To have seen him cry like that could only mean something was very wrong. He'd understand all too soon._

_The days that followed had been full of people in their home. Uncle Koji, Aunt Mina and Uncle Sero, Aunt Habuko, former teachers from U.A. and Isamu Academy, family, and friends. They had all said how sorry they were. His friends had all said how sorry they were. But they had all been there with their moms and his was gone and never coming back. Really, the only one who had understood was Katsumi Kirishima-Bakugo, whose father still lay in a hospital bed, fighting for every breath and clinging to life. They had drifted apart over the years, but in that moment, the two of them had been there for each other. _

_Oh, the adults had all said, what a hero she had been. The TV had all talked about what a hero she had been, how they were proud of the Hero who had laid down her life for them._

_But nothing changed the fact that he was five years old and he was never going to see his mom again._

Kenta put his own hand on the grave.

"Mom… I know you're watching over me. Thank you. Don't know how I'd have done any of this without you. I hope I can make you proud. I just…

"I wish I'd gotten to know you more. I wish we'd had more time. I wanted you to see who I've become. I really hope you're still watching out for me. I'm gonna need all the help I can get if I'm gonna be a hero like you.

"But, ah, I am getting to be pretty famous. On the internet, anyway. Takuma says we can make it pretty big…"

He wiped the tears from his eyes. "I just… I just wish… I wish you'd been here. There's so much I wish we'd gotten to do together, so much I wish I'd gotten to show you.

"I… I miss you. So much. And I wish…

"I wish I could remember you better. And I'm worried I'm starting to forget you. Not… forget you, forget you. You're my mom. I'll always remember you. But I don't know if I can remember your voice. Sometimes, in my memories, in my dreams, I can't see your face… I don't want to forget…"

He felt a strong arm wrap itself around him, his father pulling him close. No more words were needed as they stood there, letting their thoughts wander. Their loss still pulled at them. It always would. But they were strong for each other. And they always would be. That was what family meant.

As they ate their dinner (which he had helped prepare), Kenta did have to admit, there was something to be said for eating actual food instead of whatever happened to be within arms' reach. Still… there was something nagging at the back of his mind.

"Dad," he began, "why aren't you talking to Aunt Mina?"

His dad frowned, swallowing the bite of food in his mouth. "What're you talking about, Kenta?"

"You left your phone this morning," Kenta said. "I saw the texts. I saw Uncle Hanta apologizing for her too. What's going on?"

His dad looked distinctly uncomfortable. "It's nothing. Just an argument between adults."

Kenta definitely didn't believe that. His dad was too soft-hearted to every fight with anyone for long. And Takuma's mom got along with pretty much everyone, whether they wanted her to or not.

"Dad, I'm not a kid. I'm fifteen. If something's going on, you can tell me."

His dad frowned again. "…your Aunt Mina thinks I should start dating again. She's been trying to fix me up for months."

Kenta was glad he wasn't drinking, because he probably would have done a spit take. "Oh."

"You don't have to worry," his dad said quickly. "I've been telling her no. No one's ever going to replace Chizu."

Kenta looked down at his plate. In all honesty, this was a conversation he'd thought about having with his dad before. But he'd never been sure how to bring it up. He knew his dad was happy, but also that he had to be lonely. "I think you should let her."

"…What?"

Kenta took a breath, to steady his nerves and thoughts. "I know you love Mom. And I know you miss her. I do too. And I know you've been living your life for me. And that's great, it really is. I couldn't have asked for a better dad than you.

"But I'm part way out of the house now, on my way to becoming a Pro-Hero. And you deserve a chance to have a life too. If you want to start dating, if you find someone who makes you happy, I'm not going to think you're replacing Mom. You get to be happy too, Dad."

"Kenta, I… I can't. It's been too long. Your mom was my world."

He shook his head. "I don't remember much, but from everything you ever told me… Mom would want you to be happy, Dad. _I_ want you to be happy. And it sounds like that's all Aunt Mina wants. I know you've got to be lonely, now that I'm at school most of the time."

His dad wiped away a tear. "When did you get so smart? I'm lucky to have you."

"I'm pretty lucky too, Dad."

A long moment passed, in peaceful silence. Finally, Kenta spoke again. "You know, you didn't seem to think I was so smart on Thursday. What were your exact words? "Wasting your Quirk on nonsense.'"

"I stand by those words," he said. "But I'm also not going to stand in the way of your dreams. Just… find somewhere to do it other than my cafeteria, okay?"

Kenta laughed at that. "Yeah, okay, I'll tell Takuma we need to find another place for our show."

"I swear, that boy has gotten you in so much trouble…"

"Daaaad…"

And somehow, as it did, life went on.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Yeah, I've made a few small changes to Kenta's mom from the original chapter, as was suggested by a friend of mine, namely moving her from management to a different hero school. I think it works out better.


	17. Chapter 16: Tensei Iida on his date

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 16: Tensei Iida Has No Idea What He's Doing**

Tensei Iida looked himself over in the mirror and hoped that what he saw was good enough. He wore a white t-shirt that was tight across his muscular frame, specially tailored in the back to accommodate his Jetpack, paired with a pair of blue jeans. He'd pulled his pink, tubular hair back into a tight ponytail. Simple, but effective enough, he supposed. Not that he was sure he was the best judge of such things.

Considering it was the fifth outfit he'd tried on for his date with Takuma Sero, he really hoped he was making the right choices.

He turned to his friends, for their opinion. Like his sister's room, his was mostly cluttered with works in progress and blueprints, things he could work on without access to a larger workshop. Most were half or more finished; the allure of new ideas, not to mention the joint projects with his sister, kept everything in a state of near completion. That, however, left very little space in his room for other people. Sora was perched on the bed, while Toshi Midoriya leaned back against the wall. He had offered Izumi Todoroki the one chair that was not covered with other things, while Chihiro Kaminari and Asuka Tokoyami both sat on the floor.

"How do I look?" he asked.

Toshi gave him a thumbs' up. "Looking sharp, Tensei!"

"It is… a little tight?" Izumi said.

"A necessity," he said. "Fitting around my Jetpack requires additional tightness in another areas."

"And it shows off your muscles!" Kaminari piped in.

Asuka gave her a curious look, putting a finger aside her beak. "Why exactly are you here, Kaminari? You just walked in and sat down."

Kaminari's Extension Cords bobbed up and down in the approximation of a shrug. "I'm a sucker for a dress-up montage," she said. "Besides, I'm bored and Mika's sulking."

"Is she okay?" Toshi asked. Mika Mineta may have been… a bit much, but they were still all friends to some degree or another.

Kaminari laughed. "She'll be fine. She's just pouting because Iida here is, and I quote, "off the market and the menu.'"

"She did not know my orientation before now?" Tensei asked. "I did not believe I had made any secret of it."

"She did not," Kaminari confirmed. "Of course, neither did I. You don't exactly talk about your preferences like that. Even when Mika and me were making plans to seduce you and your sister, I figured I maybe had a chance with you. Of course, I was mostly humoring her…"

She gestured at Tensei, pointing at his abs. "But I figured it was worth a shot. Gave up after the first day, though. Got bored."

"You were what?" Sora gasped.

Tensei pinched the bridge of his nose. "I should be more surprised at this. But given the large swath of previous data points, I am not."

"Wait," Sora said, as more data points alligned. "Go back to the part where Mineta was planning to seduce me?"

"She tries to seduce everyone," Kaminari said. "It's kind of her thing. Except me, Kirishima-Bakugo, Todoroki, and Sero. And now you, Iida, I guess."

"Good to see she has some boundaries," Asuka said.

"Hold on a moment," Izumi said, holding up a pale hand. "I understand not trying to seduce you, her friend. And I understand not trying to seduce Tensei or Sero. And I know that Katsumi has threatened her enough to at least make her reduce her efforts to seduce her. But why am I on the "do not seduce list'?"

Kaminari gave her a look that Tensei could not entirely identify. "Please never say 'seduce' again, Todoroki. That just sounds weird when you say it."

"Nevertheless, you did not answer my question."

The electric blonde looked guiltily around the room. "I refuse to answer on the grounds that Kirishima-Bakugo will explode my head."

"She threatened her?" Toshi asked.

Kaminari nodded rapidly.

Toshi sighed. "Of course she did."

"Always looking out for me," Izumi mused, a small smile pulling at her lips.

As usual, it was Asuka who pulled them back on track. "When are you and Sero leaving for your date?" she asked.

"I am meeting him downstairs in," Tensei began, checking his watch, "five minutes ago!"

His heart seized up in his chest and he bolted from his room towards the stairs. Behind him, he could hear his friends calling out and wishing him good luck.

It was the first date of his life. He was going to need it.

"Okay, he probably just got distracted, maybe doing blueprints or something," Sero said to himself, as he paced in the Common Room. "He hasn't bailed on you. You still got this. It's only been six minutes. Seven. It's only been seven minutes."

"Sero!" Tensei called out, as he burst out of the stairway. "My apologies! I lost track of time preparing for this date!"

Relief washed over the pink boy's face. He was wearing a loud, Hawaiian print shirt, which was garish and clashed with his pink skin, and dark pants and boots. His dark hair had been slightly spiked. Tensei did not know much about the ways of dating, but he did know what he liked, and he liked what he saw.

"Iida!" Sero said. "It's all right, sorry, I was just kind of freaking out. It's been a while since I've been on a date and I was making myself kind of nuts there."

Of course Sero had been on many dates before. Who could not help but fall for the cute, pink-skinned, dark-eyed young man? Even if he did not always understand the purposes of Sero's antics with Sato and Ojiro, the enthusiasm he brought to everything was contagious.

But Tensei? Tensei admitted he did not always understand the expected social conventions. He was much more at home with machines than people, or in the presence of likeminded individuals like his sister, mother, and father. These were things and people he could understand and predict. Having a clearly defined rules helped as well, something his father excelled at, even if his Uncle Tensei occasionally referred to him as being "too tightly wound." Clear rules helped define your responses and also allowed a clear opportunity for the necessity of invention, when you spotted the loopholes between them.

"Again, my apologies," he said. "I was having difficulty deciding what to wear."

"Well, you look good," Sero said, giving him a thumb's up.

"And you are certainly…" Tensei hesitated, trying to think of the best word, "interestingly dressed." Duplicity typically evaded him, but he was not certain honesty was the best option here either. So he settled for a somewhat neutral term.

Sero laughed at that. "Dude. You can say I'm an eyesore. That's the point. Show off the colors, make people notice you. First rule of entertainment."

"If you say so," he said. "I am not very "with it," as people say."

"No one says "with it" anymore, Iida," Sero said. "But that's all right. I'm "with it" enough for both of us. And speaking of entertainment…" He pulled his phone from his pocket. "Selfie with me?"

"Ah… sure?" Tensei said. If that was something that was "with it," then he could do that.

"Awesome, thanks." Sero stood next to him and put one arm around him (and didn't that make him flush!), holding out the phone with the other. "Smile!" he said, as he pushed the camera button. The phone made a shutter sound and Sero released him (too soon!), checking the picture.

He showed the picture to Tensei. "Perfect," he said. "Definitely making that my new lock screen."

Dinner was a quick bite, purchased from a ""Noodle Noodle, Come Get Your Noodle" cart, run by a man whose Quirk manifested in the form of a little blue goblin, probably somewhat similar to Tokoyami's Frog-Shadow. Sero had insisted on paying, in spite of his protest that he pay his own share. They found a bench to sit on while they people watched. All around, people were walking, while the air could be seen to be full of people flying, and even the "speed quirk" lane next to the sidewalk had quite a few people in it. The small relaxation of the laws on public Quirk use since their parents' generation had opened up a lot of travel possibilities, among other things.

"I asked you, out" Sero said, slurping noodles. "You can get next time."

That was certainly an optimistic proclamation! But Tensei nodded. "That seems fair," he said.

Tensei was bad at small talk, he knew, but Sero seemed quite able to fill the silences. "You know," Sero said, "when I asked you out, I wasn't sure if you'd say yes. I wasn't even sure you were into guys."

That seemed to be a common statement. "I have made no secret of it," he said. "But I admit, I have not exactly broadcast it either. Perhaps I should have."

Sero shook his head. "Nah, it's all right, dude. Everybody's different. Besides, what's life without a little risk?"

"Precisely!" Tensei agreed. "There is something to be said for venturing into the unknown, pushing boundaries, never knowing whether you might be met with success or an explosion! All part of the learning process!"

Sero tilted his head. "I… don't think we're talking about the same kind of risk, dude. But I still get it."

"Possibly not," he said. "I may have something of a unique definitely of acceptable risk. Father is always warning my mother, my sister, and me about the dangers of our experiments and projects. Sensei Power Loader does too, for that matter. I think they are overreacting. We always manage to put the fires out before they spread."

"Uh…huh." More noodles disappeared into Sero's mouth. "Worst my dad gets up to is wearing socks with sandals. Mom tries _so hard_ to make him be cool, but he just doesn't get it."

"That is… a sartorially incorrect choice?" Granted, the times when a person would wear both were probably limited, but it was not something he had enough data on to make a determination on.

Sero laughed. "Oh, dude. Funny." He stopped when he saw the confusion on Tensei's face. "Oh, wait. You're serious. …Ah, sorry."

He looked so forlorn that Tensei could not help but forgive him immediately. "Do not worry about it."

"Okay, if you say so," Sero said. "But yeah, major fashion error. It's even worse when he combines it with cargo shorts. If they're going anywhere together, Mom doesn't let him leave the house unless she pre-approves his outfit."

"That seems harsh."

"Trust me, dude. He deserves it."

"I will take your word for it." Tensei smiled. "Father sometimes attempts to exert control over Mother's choices like that as well, usually when he feels she is not eating or sleeping enough."

"Is she?"

"That," he said, "is an interesting question with many variables to the answer, including statistical averages for humans, which admittedly have been highly skewed due to the wide variety of Quirks…"

"I'm gonna take that as a "maybe" and not ask any more questions. About that, anyway. I have plenty more questions in general."

"I am happy to answer any I can. Provided I am also allowed to ask questions." Tensei certainly wanted to know more about the handsome pink boy. True, all of the children of the former Class 1-A knew each other to some extent, but there were also small if somewhat variable cliques within that group, just as there had been with their parents. His and Sero's had not been especially close, so they were not as close as he was to, say, Izumi or Toshi. Granted, Toshi was probably a bad example, as he was close to almost everyone.

Probably for the best, however. It gave him an exciting and new set of possibilities, with plenty of uncertainties. A brand new venture into the unknown.

"Sure, dude," Sero agreed. He finished the last of his noodles. "You 'bout done, though? I've got so much I wanna show you at the arcade."

Tensei popped the last of the noodles into his mouth and nodded. "I am ready!"

Sera helped him sit down on a chair in the arcade's small café, easing him down gently. "I am okay," Tensei said. "I just… need a minute… for the room to stop spinning…"

"Dude," Sero said. "I am _so_ sorry! I just figured that with how you zip around," he made various motions through the air with his hands, "that the virtual roller coaster wouldn't be a big deal."

Truthfully, Tensei had not expected to react so poorly to it either. He had often pushed his body to the limits, flying through the air. While he was best at traveling in a straight line, he could execute rapid turns when he had to, even barrel rolls and loop de loops. As he grew, so too would his Jetpack, enabling him to execute even more precise maneuvers. So a virtual roller coaster should have been nothing more than a bit of excitement and a chance to tightly hold hands with the boy that he liked.

It had not worked out that way.

Instead, he had felt overwhelmed almost immediately after the first hill and drop, letting out a sharp scream. He was also pretty certain he had squeezed Sero's hand painfully tight. He had emerged from the VR pod disoriented and dizzy, ready to drop. He was just grateful he had not thrown up. Tensei was pretty sure that throwing up in front of or on your date was a very good way not to get a second date. And he very much wanted a second date.

Nevertheless, it was still quite embarrassing.

Tensei shook his head. "It is not your fault. I had no statistical framework to in which to predict that that would happen."

"If you say so…" Sero said, though he sounded uncertain. Tensei wished there was more he could do to reassure him.

Fortunately, Tensei's recovery was rather quick. "Perhaps something… a little less intense?"

Sero brighted, his dark eyes sparkling with the light of an idea. He snapped his fingers. "I know _just_ the thing."

Sero's eyes had been growing steadily wider. "_How_," he asked, "are you so _good_ at this?"

Carefully and with the utmost previous, Tensei maneuvered the claw with the joystick, dropping it only when he was absolutely certain it was in the right place. He might not have had his mother's Quirk, but his vision was _very_ good and years of working with precision tools in his mother's workshops had given him a very deft hand indeed. It dropped, easily snaring the Froppy plushie and depositing it in the hole. Tensei fished the plushie of the prize slot and handed it to Sero, whose arms were already quite full with plushies of Tentacole, Tailman, Lemillion, Phantom Thief, Chargebolt, Pinky, and Cellophane.

"Compared to setting micro-circuitry," Tensei told him, "this is quite easy." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Though perhaps that makes it a bit unfair, both to the arcade and anyone else who would want to try."

"Ah… maybe?" Sero said, with a small shrug, struggling not to drop the plushies in his arms. Tesei reached out and took a few of them from him, then they started walking out of the arcade.

"Can I keep some of these? I kind of want to taunt Mom with the one of her. She's never been happy with it. She thinks it makes her look fat. She's made it her mission to find as many of them as she can and dissolve them in her acid."

"Keep as many as you like," he said. "The skill challenge is reward enough."

"Really? You sure, dude?" Tensei nodded in response. "Well, thanks. Baby sis will love these, especially."

"Ah, that is right," Tensei said, "you have several younger sibling, don't you?"

Sero nodded. "Yeah, three brothers, one baby sister. Mom likes to say Dad's just that irresistible, but she only does that when she wants to see us squirm."

Tensei wasn't sure he followed all that, but he decided it wasn't worth questioning. "That seems like it would make for a very crowded household."

Another nod. "You have no idea, dude. The dorms are the rest time I've had my own room in years."

"Sora and I shared a room for many years," Tensei told him. "Until we were about twelve. After that, it a modicum of privacy became necessary. Not that either of us slept there more than forty-percent of the time. Usually we slept on cots in the workshop. Or simply fell asleep over a workbench." Not something their father had been especially happy about, but he had his ways of navigating around it.

"Man," Sero said, "I could not do that. I am a sleep-a-holic"

"A waste of perfectly good time that could be better spent working," he replied.

Sero made a face, putting a hand to his chest. "That was painful, dude. Absolutely painful. Never say the word "work" around me again."

Tensei had a general feeling he was joking, so he smiled. "As you wish."

Tensei had walked Sero back to his room, which was as unusually decorated as Sero was dressed. The walls were covered in what he would have called leopard print, except that the prints were all bright pink instead of a golden-yellow, and there were multiple lava lamps. From what he could determine, the bed appeared to be a waterbed, which must have been quite the feat to get inside. His desk had been set up with multiple monitors and multiple webcams, obviously to further his efforts to become an internet sensation. Not a goal Tensei understood, but Sero certainly seemed devoted to it. They dropped the plushies in a corner.

Sero seemed much more uncertain than Tensei could ever recall seeing him, save perhaps for when he had asked him on this date. He was usually brimming with confidence and showmanship.

Sero rubbed the back of his head, nervousness radiating off him. "So, I, ah, I had a good time tonight, Iida." He smiled and Tensei could see that it reached his eyes.

Tensei smiled, and he realized that his own heartrate was quite elevated. "As did I, Sero."

"I, ah, don't suppose you'd like to do this again some time? Maybe go see a movie or something?"

Tensei was aware he was given to a certain amount of impulsive behavior, but in this case, he already knew the answer. "Absolutely."

"Great!" Sero said, perhaps a little louder than he intended. "I mean, great. And, ah, you know, if you, ah, really wanted to… you could call me Takuma. Since we're, you know, dating. If, ah, that's what we're doing."

Tensei realized that Sero—Takuma—was very adorable when he was nervous. He was vaguely aware that he and his sister could make other people nervous. Toshi had gently reminded them of this from time to time. But this seemed to be very different from those scenarios. He had never made anyone nervous like this before; he found it somehow flattering.

"I believe that is what we can call this," he said. "So, please, if you wish, you may call me Tensei."

"Tensei it is," Takuma said. "I'll, ah, see you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow," Tensei agreed. "Good night, Takuma."

"G'night, Tensei."

He left and started to head back to his room. And for the moment, Tensei was feeling pretty good about life in general. He had successfully completed one date and now he had another. He was officially "dating." He knew his sister would be expecting a full account of the evening, but for once in his life, he did not care about analyzing results or accumulating date. He was happy just the way things were.


	18. Chapter 17: Asuka Hears Voices

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 17: Asuka Tokoyami Hears Voices**

Sitting in her room, Asuka carefully put pen to paper for the letter she was writing. She had promised her parents that she would write them each Sunday, so long as she was able.

Frog-Shadow materialized on her shoulder, giving her a critical look. "Did the internet go down?"

"No," she told her familiar, mentally bracing herself for the questions she knew were coming.

"Are the phones broken?"

"No," she repeated.

"Is it a hundred years ago?"

"No," Asuka said again, letting the weariness creep into her voice. This was actually going on longer than she expected.

"Then why are you using snail mail?"

"Because it's a peaceful way to organize my thoughts, *chirp*" she said.

"Boooring," Frog-Shadow said. "I'm going back inside until you're done." Her complaint registered, Frog-Shadow vanished back inside her. She could still feel the presence of the light-being, like a warmth centered around her middle, still hear the whispers of her thoughts in her own mind. Some might call it strange, and she would certainly call Frog-Shadow aggravating at times, but it was a comforting presence all the same. Ever since she had turned four, she had never really been alone. Many children had imaginary friends; she'd had a real one. Even if most of the time, the things Frog-Shadow said to other people made her want to crawl under a table and hide.

Deliberately, she put pen to paper.

_Dear Mom and Dad,_

_To say the first week of school has been chaotic would be an understatement. But in spite of the strangeness and uncertainty revolving around the Quirk Virus, things here have passed without the chaos that engulfed your early school days. We are going to the USJ on Monday though, so I will keep you updated on whether or not we experience any Villain attacks._

_I have made a new friend, Isamu Haimawari, from Naruhata. He seemed a bit nervous on his first day, but Toshi invited him into our group, and now he seems much more relaxed. That was to be expected, I suppose. Toshi tends to have that effect on everyone._

_In more personal news, Toshi and I were elected Class Representative and Vice-Representative, respectively. In my case, the vote was actually unanimous! Toshi's nearly was as well, though there was one hold out. I hope that I can be worthy of the faith my friends have in me._

_You may let Dark Shadow know that Frog-Shadow is mostly behaving herself. She has only truly embarrassed me a few times._

_How is everything at home? I hope that_

Her writing was interrupted by someone kncoking on her door.

Thee sharp and precise raps, then, "Tokoyami." Again, three sharp and precise raps, then "Tokoyami." And once more, three sharp and precise raps, then "Tokoyami." Even if she hadn't recognized the voice, the pattern would have given it away. There were only two people who knocked like that.

Askuka opened the door to find Sora Iida standing there, as she expected. She stood ramrod straight, her hands folded in front of her and collapsed together. Her eyes were slightly unfocused, no doubt she was working out some complex problem or formula in her head while she was waiting for the door to be answered.

_**Oh, boy, it's crazy girl! What could she want?!**_

Asuka pointedly did not answer the voice in her head.

"Hello, Iida," she said. "What can I do for you?"

Iida returned to focus almost immediately. "I wish to engage in "girl talk" with you. There are questions that I require the answers for before I can formulate a plan of action."

Well, the world was certainly turning upside down. Asuka was used to being a source of advice for her classmates. She was the oldest of them, albeit only by about six months. But somehow that, combined with what Toshi had described as a state of "you just seem like you know what you're doing" often led them to consult her on their various problems. She did not begrudge her friends for seeking her advice and she was happy to help them when she could. But there were times when she wished they were more capable of solving their own problems.

She would not have expected Sora Iida to be one of them, though. But after Takuma Sero had taken Sora's brother Tensei on a date, she supposed anything was now possible.

Usually, however, they waited until after 0800 to seek out her advice. But she had long known that the Iida Twins kept their own time tables that only occasionally intersected with anyone else's.

"Come in, please," she said, stepping back and gesturing in the general direction of her desk chairs. "Can I offer you anything to drink? I've got water, ice coffee, and soda—no, sorry, I remember, soda jams your engines, doesn't it?"

Iida nodded. "It does. But I am fine, thank you."

Asuka nodded as they took a seat. "What did you wish to talk about?"

_**Probably something nerdy!**_

Iida waved her hands in front of her rapidly, as though she could shake out the right words. "I am good friends with Toshi," she said. "But you are even better friends with him. You know even more about him than I do."

"I am not sure I would say that," Asuka said. More to the point, she paid more attention to people than to machines, as Iida did. "But for now, we can go with that as an assumption."

The blue-black haired girl's head snapped up and she looked Asuka straight in the eye. "Does Toshi have a girlfriend? Or is he interested in anyone?"

_**Okay, I didn't see that coming. This is finally getting interesting!**_

Asuka mentally growled, hoping that would at least temporarily silence Frog-Shadow so she could properly advise Iida.

"If he does or if he is," she said after a moment, "he's never said anything to me. And Toshi pretty much wears his heart on his sleeve, so it's not like he'd be able to hide it very well if he did or was. And he's a terrible liar, so I don't think he could cover it up."

Iida's head was nodding so rapidly in response to her words that Asuka was fairly certain it would fly off.

"So," Asuka ventured, "are you interested in Toshi?"

_**Duh, Boss**_.

Honestly, it wasn't surprising. Toshi _was_ a really great guy, everyone's friend, and very good looking. Not really her type, and she really thought of him as just a friend, but she could see how it could happen. The relationship damn breaking for both Iida Twins at the same time was surprising, though.

Iida's nodding came to a stop. "I suppose I left myself open for that. It is the logical conclusion from my questions. And the correct one."

She put a finger to the side of her beak. "Then you should ask him out. The worst he can say is that he's not interested in you like that."

"That is good advice," Iida agreed. "It is a risk… but on the other hand, there is nothing gained if there is not risk. And have you _seen_ his muscles?"

_**She is right about that. He is pretty hunky. I bet if you ran, you could ask him out first!**_

Great. The last thing she needed for was Frog-Shadow to start "shipping" people. Let alone trying to manage her own romantic life.

Still, Iida was not… incorrect either. "You are correct about that," she told her. "Toshi is quite fit. And you know, if you wish to catch him, he will probably be back from his morning run soon…"

Iida stood so rapidly that her chair tipped over and banged on the floor. "Thank you for your help, Tokoyami. But I must be going!" Just as quickly, she ran out the door. As Asuka had assumed she could.

_**You did that on purpose**_.

_You can't prove that_.

_How is everything at home? I hope that everyone is doing well and that Nanmi, Asahi, and Taki are behaving themselves. Not that I would expect otherwise, of course, but one never knows._

_I must also extend congratulations to you, Mother, on your recent victory against Octo-Pod. Shinso was somehow able to find video of the fight on the internet. I swear, the boy is an absolute fiend when it comes to finding Hero content. Regardless of how he found it, it looked like you had the matter well in hand. I am sure the fight was more challenging than it looked._

_Heroics classes are_

Frog-Shadow materialized outside her body, peering over her shoulder. "How are you still writing this? I'm booooooored!"

There were times where Asuka wished she was capable of greater, or at least more readable, expression. True, the narrowing of her eyes and the slight rise of the plumage on top of her head should have been a clue, but it would have been nice to be able to actually frown or scowl at Frog-Shadow on occasion.

"You do realize life does not revolve around keeping you entertained? *chirp*"

Frog-Shadow gave her a curious look. "Are you sure about that? Maybe we should check."

Reason was not working. Not that she had expected it to. It rarely did where Frog-Shadow was concerned. Perhaps it was time to try bargaining.

"If I let you stay out while I go downstairs to get breakfast, will you allow me to complete my letter afterwards?"

Her familiar seemed to be considering this, big froggy eyes half-closing as she considered the idea. "Okay, deal. But I get a cookie."

Asuka buried her face in her hands. "…Fine."

She had long ago learned that sometimes, she had to pick her battles. And if a cookie was the price of a quiet morning, then so be it.

It was only a little after 0800, and being Sunday, not many of her classmates were up yet. Most of them preferred to sleep in when they could. Toshi and Kirishima-Bakugo were already up, of course, and Sora Iida obviously had been as well (though in her case, it was just as likely she'd not actually been to bed). Asuka too, generally preferred to be up early, to get a good start on the day (there had been so many chicken jokes when she was a child).

Having successfully obtained a bowl of cereal for herself and a cookie from Frog-Shadow, she was on her way back to her dorm.

"Can I eat it now?" Frog-Shadow asked from her shoulder, cookie held tightly in its hands.

"Wait until we get back," she told her. "I don't want you getting crumbs on my shoulder."

"Aaaaugh. That's gonna take forever!"

"We're _on_ the floor already. It'll be less than a minute."

"Still too long! I wanna eat my cookie!"

Asuka closed her eyes and took in a breath, then let it out. It was going to be one of those days.

"Tokoyami!"

Her eyes snapped out to reveal Mika Mineta sticking her head out of dorm room, waving at her. "I need your help!" the horned girl declared.

Not even 0900 and this was the second person in need of her advice. It really was turning into one of those days.

Asuka indicated the bowl in her hand. "Is this something I can eat my cereal with while I help, Mineta?"

"And my cookie!" Frog-Shadow added.

Mineta shrugged. "Sure?"

This was the first time Asuka had seen Mineta's dorm room, and she wasn't surprised by any of it. The walls were adorned with posters of Pro-Heroes, male and female, all of whom were know from being especially prone to fan service. There were a pair of swimsuit calendars by her desk, one male, one female. Lustful though she may have been, Mineta was obviously not discriminating in her tastes. Next to the laptop on the desk was a framed family photo, featuring Mineta, her parents, and a grey-haired older woman with horns that Asuka assumed was Mineta's grandmother, the retired American Pro-Hero, Cow Lady. On the bed was a Red Riot body pillow that Asuka was very certain wasn't authorized merchandise and was even more certain Kirishima-Bakugo would destroy if she knew about it.

All things considered, the room could have been a lot worse. She'd honestly been expecting something that looked like it belonged in an adult film and this was not much worse than any other overly hormonal teenager's room.

Asuka took a seat in one of the desk chairs. From her shoulder, Frog-Shadow asked again, "Can I eat my cookie, or do we have to help the horny girl first?"

She nearly dropped her cereal bowl. "Frog-Shadow! Manners!"

"What? She's got horns, doesn't she? What did you think I meant?"

Mineta, meanwhile, was laughing so hard Asuka was afraid she'd fall out of her chair.

"Eat your darn cookie," she growled.

"Oooh, "darn?" Careful, you might start having to put money in the swear jar!" Fortunately, Frog-Shadow began eating her cookie, so that she couldn't contribute any more to the conversation.

Asuka closed her eyes and took another deep breath. She then took a bite of cereal, carefully manipulating the spoon around her beak. "What can I do for you, Mineta?"

Mineta tapped a hoof on the floor, a bundle of nervous energy. "You gotta help me figure out a way to sneak out of here tonight and back in!"

Frog-Shadow looked up from her cookie. "Okay, now it's getting interesting!"

"Quiet you," Asuka snapped. She returned her attention to Mineta. You had to try and steer the girl very carefully. "You know that's against the rules. Why?"

Mineta pulled out her phone, pulling up a social media site. She showed Asuka a picture of a pair of women who looked like twins, with pink hair and wearing black leather. "They're Double*Pop! The Pop*Step homage group! It's a pop up idol concert! Tonight! One night only! Did you see them? They're super hot! And look at how their butts look in that leather…! And apparently they're good at music too, at least according to Chihiro, but that's really second to…"

"Geeze," Frog-Shadow said, "take a breath before you start panting."

A part of Asuka wondered if the best way to handle this conversation would be to just get up and pretend it had never happened. It would be the easiest way to get out of having to try and prevent whatever trouble this would cause. Unfortunately, her sense of responsibility wouldn't allow her to just ignore it, especially in case Mineta actually tried her fool's errand and got in trouble or worse.

"Mineta," she said after a moment. "Let me advise you against this. Someone will catch you. You are not exactly the stealthiest of people. And since I can only assume Kaminari is in on this with you, you increase your chances of failure significantly."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take!" Mineta said. "Besides," she went on, giving Asuka a conspiratorial wink, "Vice-Principal Midnight is in charge of discipline. If you know what I mean."

"Kinky," Frog-Shadow said.

"Mineta…" Asuka cautioned. "If I leave here thinking you're still going to try this, I will tell your father."

Mineta's features paled. "You wouldn't."

"I would."

"You can't! He still thinks I'm a child! He chases off every boy who gets within fifteen feet of me! I'll be grounded forever!"

"So you'll be staying in tonight?"

She bowed her head and Asuka had to scooch her chair back to avoid getting smacked with her horns. "Maybe somebody'll be streaming it."

"Good," Asuka said. "Have a good day, Mineta."

Mineta properly dealt with, Asuka returned to her room. On a hunch, she decided to leave the door open. It was turning into one of those days where she wasn't likely to get much peace.

"That was pretty cold," Frog-Shadow said.

"Sometimes necessary," Asuka told her. "Especially with Mineta."

"I'm not saying I disapproved. It's just surprising."

She resumed her writing.

_Heroics classes are even more challenging than expected, but I believe I am improving. I am striving to improve directing Frog-Shadow, but as you well know, that is not without its challenges. All Might and Mister Aizawa think I may even be able to use her to travel underwater._

"Oooh, that'll be fun," Frog-Shadow said, peering over her shoulder at her writing. "Let's try it! Let's try it now!"

"Not until we have a lot more practice on coordinating our actions," Asuka said. "You still don't always listen to me."

"Because you're so boooooring."

_My other classes are going well, though English remains something of a challenge. It truly is not a logical language at all. Even Mineta, who speaks it fluently, has great difficulty, though I suspect that to be more for lack of effort than anything else. _

There was a light knock on her doorframe, and she turned to see Isamu Haimawari standing there. "Ah, hey, Tokoyami. Am I interrupting something? Cause I can always come back…"

He was so apologetic, she couldn't blame him for the interruption. She shook her head. "Come in, please, Haimawari."

He smiled and nodded. "Thanks. I'll try not to take up too much of your time. But since you seem like the kind of person who pretty much knows everything…"

She held up a hand. "Before you begin, is this relationship advice or are you planning something against the rules?"

He gave her a strange look. "No? Do people ask you about that kind of thing a lot?"

She rolled her eyes. "Like you would not believe."

"She's no fun," Frog-Shadow said. "Always tries to shut it down."

"What can I do for you, Haimawari?" Asuka asked instead. Because engaging Frog-Shadow when she was in one of her "why am I the Quirk of such a boring person" moods was pointless.

"Oh! I was just hoping you could tell me everybody's birthdays? I mean, you all know each other and I'm kind of the odd man out, so I just figured maybe that was something I could know? Dad always says knowing stuff like that about people is a good way to make friends and all."

"Your father seems like a wise person."

Haimawari smiled. "I like to think he is. You and he have kind of the same thing going. Everybody always goes to him with their problems too. Usually not the kind that it sounds like you're solving, but still."

Asuka picked up her phone. "I've actually got it saved in a file. I can send it to you."

He pulled out his own. "Great, thanks. I've got air drop enabled, so you can just shoot it over."

She did, and he spent a moment looking over the chart she'd sent. "Okay, so you're the oldest, then Kirishima-Bakugo, then me, then… pretty much everybody else, and Shinso's the youngest?" He scratched his head. "Lot of birthdays in late September and early October."

According to Aunt Mina at Sero's thirteenth birthday party, this was entirely traceable to a "really wild New Year's Eve party" that she and Uncle Hanta had thrown. Aunts Ochako and Momo had tried very hard to deny this, Uncle Izuku had gotten very flustered and gone red, and Uncle Denki had just started laughing until Aunt Kyoka had punched him in the arm. So it while it was not confirmed… there was a certain degree of evidence to support it.

But that was not something that needed to be shared. "Coincidence," she said. "Most of our parents started getting ready to have families at about the same time. Successful hero careers and relationships, stability, it just worked out. Mine just had a head start."

"Ah, I get it," Haimawari said. "My parents waited a while to have me, so I get it. Timing's gotta work out."

He nodded. "Well, thanks, Tokoyami. Appreciate it."

"Any time, Haimawari."

By the time she was able to return to writing her letter, Asuka had helped Kaminari with her math homework, watched a video of Ground Zero fighting Mustang Flame that Shinso had found, convinced Mineta that her threats about calling her father were serious, and listened to Kenta vent about how, while he was happy his father was considering dating and stepping back into life, he was also worried about him getting hurt. Frog-Shadow had provided her own color commentary throughout.

She was about to put pen back to paper when someone else knocked on her doorframe. "_What_?"

"Whoa! Sorry, Tokoyami," Daisuke Shoji said, standing in the doorway with a plate of sandwiches and fruit. "Thought you might like some lunch. Hadn't seen you come down yet."

Ah, Shoji. Mercifully uncomplicated, unproblematic Shoji. He rarely ever brought trouble to her door. She wished she could have smiled for him.

"I must have lost track of time," she told him.

He gave her a sympathetic look. "Still solving everyone's problems?"

"She oughta have her own therapist couch by now!" Frog-Shadow declared.

Shoji hid a laugh behind a hand, even as Asuka buried her head in hers. "She's not wrong, you know," Shoji said. "You really are a problem solver, Tokoyami."

Asuka looked up. "Just tell me there aren't any problems in those sandwiches."

He shook his head. "Just ham and cheese. With mustard."

"Then," she said, "you can come in."

_It has been a busy week—today in particular—but I must say that it has been good as well. I'm looking forward to what lies ahead._

_All my love,_

_Asuka_


	19. Interlude: A Staff Meeting

**Their Hero Academia – Interlude – Shota Aizawa's Perilous Staff Meeting**

It had been a very long week, and Shota Aizawa was already seriously contemplating retirement. Many of his fellow former teachers already had. Mic, Snipe, Cementoss, Vlad King, all of them and others had retired or moved to other positions. Even Emi was telling him he ought to retire and spend more time with her. But his wife knew, as he did, that he was far too dedicated to the youth, making sure that they turned out to be responsible, successful, and above all, not-dead heroes.

But if ever there was a class to challenge this resolve, this was it.

He sipped from a bad cup of coffee as he watched the other teachers and staff file into the teacher's lounge. It was unusual for Nezu to call a staff meeting on a Sunday; he would only have done so if he had an important reason.

He nodded politely to Yusei Fujii and Itsuka Tetsutetsu, Super Ball and Battle Fist, who were the other homeroom teachers. Tetsutetsu had been one of the best students in Class 1-B decades ago and he knew her to be a reliable teacher who did well by her students. Fujii was been a capable enough Pro-Hero in the field, though in Aizawa's opinion he talked too much and made too many jokes. As a teacher, Aizawa thought he was far too soft, too willing to extend chances to those who did not deserve them. But Nezu had faith in the rubber-bodied bouncing hero, so Aizawa dealt with it by largely ignoring him when he could.

"You know, Aizawa," Fujii said, "it wouldn't kill you to smile a little. Otherwise, how will we know if you die from boredom sitting there?"

He didn't dignify that with a response and denied the opportunity to ridicule him further, Fujii took a seat.

Riza Arakawa, Snipe's daughter who called herself Hawkeye, sat opposite him, sipping her own coffee with the grimace that only one who understood coffee was not meant to be enjoyed, but instead suffered, could have. They locked eyes for a moment and nodded. The blonde woman was one of the few more taciturn than him.

Higari Maijima—Power Loader—arrived next. He was one of the few people on the staff even older than Aizawa, making him feel like not quite such an old man in a field of kids. Even if "kids" was something of a misnomer, considering even the youngest was older than he'd been when he began teaching.

Power Loader fixed him with glare. "Just a reminder that the Iida Twins are still banned from my classes until Friday. They're _your_ problem until then." He visibly shuddered as he took his seat. "Twins! One of that girl was bad enough, but twins…!"

"Trust me, Maijima," he said, allowing a small amount of sympathy into his voice, "I feel your pain. The combination of Iida and Hatsume's… idiosyncrasies has produced rather disturbing results."

Which was putting it mildly. The Iida Twins had minds like corkscrews, brilliant, but twisted. They simultaneously adhered to the rules to the letter, while knowing exactly every loophole to exploit.

Samidare Asui, called Hopper, entered with Michael Skyline, who went by the rather redundant Hero Name of Skyline, and Kukiko Iida, also known as Figure Sk8. Though there were several years between them, the three were close friends and could occasionally be found getting into trouble after hours. A few conversations with Midnight and Nezu had eventually put a stop to their more extreme partying and cavorting, at least, before they could completely besmirch the honor of U.A.

Iida brushed the single white forelock of hair out of her face, leaving it standing it stark contrast to the rest of her blue-black hair. "You two are such lightweights," she said. "I had almost twice as much to drink as you two and I'm not hungover."

Asui groaned in response. "What you are *croak*, is _loud_."

I am never doing shots with you again, Skyline said, seemingly not realizing he was speaking English. The blonde American managed to remember his Japanese by the time he continued. "It's just not worth it."

"Lightweights," Iida teased again, as they found their seats. She watched as Asui poured a frankly absurd amount of sugar into his coffee. "That stuff'll kill you, you know."

"At this point, *croak* I welcome it."

Having attended U.A. with Iida's father, and having spent far too many nights keeping him, Hizashi, and Nemuri out of trouble, Aizawa had few doubts as to where she got it from. Why she couldn't take after her more sensible mother, he did not know. Then again, her mother had fallen for Tensei Iida, so how sensible could she be?

Atsushi Mori, the red panda-headed Hero called FireFox, came in next, looking entirely too cheerful for this time of morning. He was always cheerful, more cheerful than ought to be legal. "Good morning, everyone!" he said, a grin on his furry face, as he waved to everyone.

"Morning, Fox!" Iida called back, prompting another groan from Asui and Skyline.

"See?" Mori said as he fixed his coffee. "At least Iida's in a good mood."

People who were that cheerful in the morning needed to be shot.

He was followed shortly by Midnight, who looked rather pleased with herself. "You know, you never did thank me for your class this year, Aizawa," she said, getting far too close to him.

Her words struck him like a slap. "_That_ _class is on __**purpose**_?" he yelled, louder than he intended. She winced as she took a step back. "I thought the universe had simply cursed me."

She laughed. "Oh, no. Nezu put me in charge of class rosters this year. When I saw how many birds were coming home to roost, I simply _had_ to put them under your care. Of course, I did ask Emi first. She thought it was hilarious."

Oh, he was going to have such a conversation when he got home. "I hate you."

"Love you too, Sho'," she said, blowing him a kiss as she sound her seat. "You know your life would be boring if we didn't spice it up a little."

"Aizawa!" came the booming voice of All Might, raising Aizawa's blood pressure even further. "What a week, eh?"

He tried not to wince. No need to let All Might show he was getting the better of him. "Hrmm."

All Might just laughed at that as he took the seat to Aizawa's left. "Still the same, aren't you? But tell me, how is my grandson doing? Which reminds me, Inko and I would love to have you and Emi for dinner, bring Eri and Kota too, the more the merrier, we're inviting Izuku and his family, did I tell you my youngest grandchild finally got her Quirk…"

Why didn't he shut up?!

"Careful, Dad," Eri said, sitting on his right. Her husband, Kota, sat to her left, and was very clearly not even bothering to hide how amusing he found the whole thing. "I did a pretty good job patching Mister Yagi up when I was ten, but I don't think I could do it again. So I'd rather you didn't hurt him."

In point of fact, Eri had burned up a tremendous amount of her power when she was ten, both rolling All Might back to before his injuries and Mirio Togata back to having his Quirk. Now, she could only turn back the clock a few hours, which was still more than enough to make her a good emergency medic and U.A.'s chief physician. A Pro-Hero and a doctor. He couldn't have been more proud of her. She'd come a long way from the scared little girl he'd first known her as, struggling to find her sense of self-worth. Adopting her had been one of the best decisions he'd ever made.

"I've told you, Young Eri, call me Toshinori, please."

"You'll have as much luck with that as I have getting Kota to call Dad anything other than "Sir," Mister Yagi."

"Tell the whole world, why don't you, Eri?" Kota said, but it was clear he was teasing her. His son-in-law was properly afraid of him, however. As things should be.

"Ahem," Nezu's voice somehow cut through all the chatter, and the other teachers fell into silence. The Principal carefully made his way to his chair, leaving his cane leaning against the conference table as he took his seat. "Thank you all for coming. I apologize for interrupting your day off. Hound Dog sends his regrets that he will not be able to join us, but is dealing with a personal matter."

He folded his paws in front of him before continuing. "We have been lucky," Nezu said. "There have been no further instances of what the CQR is now calling the "Quirk Disrupting Virus" in the Heroics classes and those students who were effected appear to have regained control of their Quirks."

"Thankfully," Tetsutestsu said. "Haya Tanaka's still shaken up by the whole thing, but she's seeing Hound Dog and slowly getting her confidence back. She'll be flying again in no time."

"The same for Yamaguchi," Fujii said. "We're coaxing her back up to full power, but she's still worried she'll destroy more of the school."

Nezu nodded. "I am glad to hear that, please give them both my regards. Unfortunately, the other classes have not been so lucky. Three boys and two girls from the General Education classes, two boys and one genderfluid individual from the Business and Management classes, and one boy and two girls from the Support Classes. Fortunately, all of them had relatively minor Quirks, and there were no injuries to anyone or any major property damage."

Power Loader nodded. "Only a bit of a close call. One of my students has an alchemical touch. On the plus side, we now have more than enough copper for wiring to last us the rest of the year."

"What are the other schools saying?" Aizawa asked. "Emi says they've had a dozen incidents so far at Ketsubutsu, including one of the teachers."

"Shiketsu, Isamu, Seiai, and Seijin are all reporting similar numbers, as Mom" Eri said. "I've been in contact with their medical staff and have been sharing results with the other schools and the CQR. No one's any closer to an answer than they were when this first started a few weeks ago."

"And the schools outside the country?" he asked.

"The Center for Quirk Research is still ironing out the kinks in international cooperation," Midnight said, her tongue sliding over her lips before she said the word "kink."

Aizawa grunted. "Of course. A world-wide crisis and they're squabbling."

"Unfortunate," Nezu agreed. "But we must move forward as best we can."

"I still have a few contacts in other governments," All Might said. "I'll reach out to them and see what they say."

"Any of the Pro-Heroes investigating find anything?" Iida asked. "I asked Uncle Tenya but he's swearing it's all top secret."

The Principal shook his head. "I am afraid not. So far, no group has claimed responsibility, nor has anyone found any signs of a distribution method."

If he had been a younger man, Aizawa would probably have been out beating the pavement, trying to find out what he could using his own methods. But age was catching up to him and he'd likely be more risk to himself than anyone else. More importantly, his place was here, offering guidance and protection to his students. If someone's Quirk ran wild, he had the best chance of stopping it without harm to anyone.

The thing of it is… the whole virus thing reminded him of the Trigger incident from nearly thirty years ago. The way it made people lose control was rather familiar. Perhaps he'd put a word or two in Police Chief Tsukauchi's ear. Track one, track the other.

"So what do we do?" Kota asked. Even as one of the country's premier Rescue Heroes, he had always been a man of action. Uncertainty always weighed heavily on him. Aizawa saw Eri give his hand a squeeze. "I've got kids coming to the USJ tomorrow."

"Ultimately," Nezu said, "the same thing we have always done. We continue working to prepare these remarkable young men and women for becoming the Heroes of tomorrow. We let them know that their safety is our utmost priority. We survive, we persevere."

With a slowness that deftly illustrated his age and the stiffness in his joints, Nezu got to his feet. "We are U.A. The country will be looking to us to lead the way in these dark times, as it always has. We dare not falter, not when the very foundations of our society are being undermined."

"In other words," Aizawa told his son-in-law, "don't go easy on them."

"Fear not, Aizawa," All Might said. "I shall be watching to make certain Young Izumi treats the student like a harsh taskmaster."

Aizawa fixed him with a cold stare. "The moment it looks like your grandson is in trouble, you'll be calling the whole thing off."

"Now, I don't really think that's fair…"

"Relax, Dad," Eri said. "I'll be teaching the class too. I'll keep them both in line."

"I'm counting on you, Eri," he said. "Teach them right. I have a sickening feeling we're going to need it."

**END OF WEEK 1**


	20. Chapt18 Chihiro Makes a Spark at the USJ

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 18: Chihiro Kaminari Makes a Spark at the USJ**

"Holy cow, would you look at the size of this place!" Chihiro Kaminari said, as the students of Class 1-A and their Heroics teachers, All Might, exited the bus. The great dome of the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, or USJ, sprawled out before them, reaching towards the sky. "I heard Mom and Dad talk about it, but seeing it in person…"

The building was also a _major_ power draw. She could feel the electricity flowing through the building in her Extension Cords even from here; they were already pointing greedily towards it of their own accord. She settled them down with an act of will, letting them dangle over her shoulders. No need to tell anyone how intoxicating she found all that power. She stuck her hands in the pockets of her costume's yellow jacket.

"It's even better inside," Toshi Midoriya said. "I've seen it when Uncle Kota got Mom to teach a few lessons and she brought me along."

Of course he had. Midoriya was the son of the Number One Hero, the son of the most well regarded Rescue Hero in all of Japan, and the grandson of the former Number One Hero. Even in a class of almost entirely second or third or more generation Heroes, Midoriya had advantages and connections far beyond anyone else. Not that she was jealous (and she had more than enough of her own ins to people in the music industry), but still, he definitely had a leg up.

"Inside, Young Heroes!" All might said, ushering them towards the doors. "We have a great deal to do today and little time to waste!"

"This is so cool!" Shota Shinso called out, throwing both hands up in the air in excitement. "I was so excited I could barely sleep! I can't believe we're gonna get taught by Water Spout! He's one of the best Rescue Heroes around!"

"Careful, Shota," Izumi Todoroki told him. "You don't want to exhaust yourself before you've even set foot inside."

"Awww, but I'm just so excited!"

"Nothing to get excited about, Loud Kid," Katsumi Kirishima-Bakugo said. "Just rescue training. Not like we're going to get attacked by an army of Villains or something."

At that, Todoroki started to chuckle, one which spread through the others, even Chihiro herself. It was definitely something that had been on her mind. Twenty-five years ago, on their first visit to the USJ, the then-Class 1-A had been attacked by the League of Villains. Several of them had nearly been killed and All Might had been pushed beyond his limits fighting a monstrous Nomu. It had been the start of their parents' class getting caught up in extreme and dangerous events, something that hadn't really let up until they'd graduated. It was something serious, to be sure, but it had also been the true start of their heroic journeys.

Only Isamu Haimawari wasn't laughing. "Is… is that a thing that happens?" he asked.

"It only happened once," Midoriya said. "And all the Villains who were involved with that are either dead or in prison. It'll be fine. Probably."

Haimawari turned a pale color that suggested he really didn't like the sound of that "probably" and pulled up the bandanna of his costume to hide his face

"As long as it's not a water rescue," Mika said. "I can't swim."

Chihiro looked over at her best friend. "You can't?" she asked. "How come I never knew this?"

Mika gave her a look. "Really? You've never noticed I never go past the shallow end of the pool or the beach?"

Chihiro thought back for a moment, thinking of the times the two of them had gone to either place, sometimes camped out in a semi-hidden location with a couple pairs of binoculars. "…No?" she tried, realizing that she really hadn't ever noticed.

"…I can't swim, Chihiro. Horns and hooves make me too heavy to float."

"Oh," Chihiro said. It made sense. "I thought it was just because you were more interested in ogling."

"I'm not going to dignify that with a response."

Inside, they were greeted by Water Spout and Doc Clock, Kota and Eri Izumi. The former wore a uniform with an elaborate silver helmet that incorporated a snorkel and a black bodysuit with white gloves and shoulder pads, and a green chest piece like a life vest. The latter wore a purple and black leotard with a clock insignia. Both, curiously, had red boots, that reminded her of Deku's.

"Welcome," Water Spout said, spreading his arms in an expansive gesture, "to the USJ! Most of you should know me, but for those who don't, I am Kota Izumi, the Hydro Hero: Water Spout and this is my wife, Doctor Eri Izumi, the Emergency Rescue Hero: Doc Clock. I'm the Rescue Instructor of U.A. and she's U.A.'s chief doctor."

Takuma Sero raised a hand, and waited until Water Spout called on him. "Mom wanted me to tell you she says "hi,' and hasn't forgotten you," he said.

For some reason, this caused Water Spout to look very embarrassed and flush red behind the clear face shield of his helmet. "Ahem… moving on. The Unforeseen Simulation Joint, or USJ, was the brain child of the Space Hero, Thirteen. They knew that the Heroes of tomorrow and today would need a place to train and practice their rescue skills. Despite what makes the news, Pro-Heroes are much more likely to participate in rescue work than engaging villains. Fires, earthquakes, typhoons, all of these require a rescue response, not being something you can simply punch. Unless you're Deku, of course."

A few laughs rippled through the students, though not many.

Water Spout continued. "Even though there are a number of Heroes like myself and Uravity who specialized in rescue work, you may never know when you may be called upon to aid in rescue operations. Which is why you'll be spending the next weeks' worth of Heroics classes here, working in the different environments and getting used to the basics of Rescue Work."

Chihiro frowned at that. Her Quirk was not ideally suited for Rescues. Sure, she could handle any downed powerlines or anything like that, maybe a little arc welding if she had to, but teasing of Mika aside, she didn't do especially well around water herself, and a stray electrical spark from her Cords could just as easily set off a gas line than accomplishing anything positive. Not to mention she could just as easily short out her own brain at the wrong moment, and then there'd be two people to rescue.

No, she hadn't really been looking forward to this at all.

Some of the others were looking uncomfortable as well. Kenta Sato looked particularly worried. She knew his Quirk was weird and entertaining, but maybe he could… eat his way to a rescue? Chihiro wasn't sure. Kimiko Ojiro, well, you couldn't exactly read an invisible girl's face, but the body language of her "floating" costume suggested she was nervous too. Then again, if she could make things invisible, it might be good for finding people buried under stuff.

Most of the others looked excited and eager, especially Midoriya and Shinso. Not surprises there.

"We've made a few improvements to the facility over the years," Water Spout went on. "Thanks to advances in holographic technology and state of the art simulation software developed by Melissa Shield, we can simulate virtually any disaster or situation. We'll primarily be focusing on urban rescues this week, while Doc Clock here will also be providing rudimentary instruction in first aid."

Well… maybe she could just be a defibrillator.

Well, at least it wasn't a water rescue. They'd been split into three groups. All Might had one group of them on the other side of the facility, offering his own brand of urban rescue instruction in a simulated cityscape, while Doc Clock had taken another group, and Water Spout had taken Chihiro, Mika, Sato, Midoriya, and Sora Iida.

"All right," Water Spout said. "The city here's just been hit by an earthquake. Multiple buildings in partial state of collapse, potential aftershocks on the way, small and not so small fighters having started from the damage, and plenty of car crashes and other assorted collateral damage as well. What's your first move?"

Midoriya raised a hand. "If they're already on the scene, connect with local first responders. They'll have a better idea of what's going on that you will and can point you in the right direction."

Water Spout nodded. "Good answer. But what if it's sudden enough that they haven't made it there yet?"

Iida put her hand up, her face hidden by her costume's silver helmet. She was also, Chihiro noticed, standing _awfully_ close to Midoriya, her arm nearly brushing his. While she knew the Twins had some issues with personal space, Midoriya didn't seem bothered by it, like her did when Mika got too flirty. Come to think of it, they'd sat together on the bus too, rather than with her brother or one of Midoriya's usual circle. That was a little weird. Especially since, if there was gossip to be had, Ojiro would have disseminated it for the entire world to know by now.

"Look for signs of structural collapse," Iida said. "If you are observant, there are numerous ways you can determine which building is likely to fall first. Prioritize that for civilian rescue."

"Also useful," Water Spout agreed. "And we can and will be reviewing the basics of structural engineering to give you some grounding in that. What else?"

Okay, think. Chihiro knew she wasn't the best student in the class, but she wasn't stupid. She'd been able to think rings around her dad and talk him into almost anything from a young age. And when it came to Heroics, her parents had already taught her a lot about being aware of how dangerous her Quirk could be, both to herself and others, if she wasn't careful with it.

So… wait. She actually knew the answer to this. Her mom had talked about how her own Quirk wasn't great in combat, but that she was great at Intel gathering for others. Chihiro threw a hand in the air. "Ah… look for where you're needed the most. And where your Quirk can do the most good. Because what I can do might not be what Iida or Midoriya or Todoroki can do. Iida freaking _flies_ and Midoriya can float and Todoroki's practically a one woman fire department. I can't do anything like that."

She pointed, a little more confidence in her voice now that she was finding some footing, even in admitting her own weaknesses. "But I can see downed power lines over those cars. That's where_ I'd _start."

The Rescue Hero snapped his fingers and pointed in her direction. "Another _really_ good answer. Some Quirks are way better suited for rescue work than others. And no shame in that, one way or the other. Still not quite the answer I'm looking for though. Here's a hint… what's the thing Deku's always saying?"

"I AM HERE!" came the response, from all of them. It was something they all knew by heart. Some of them (herself included) had grown up playing at it.

"Right," Water Spout said. "One of the most important things you can do as a Hero is making people feel safe. No matter how bad it gets, you need to put them at as much ease as you can. Gotta rescue hearts and minds as much as you're rescuing their bodies."

"Stay back!" Chihiro called out to the others. "We gotta deal with those downed wires first!" Basic instruction covered, they'd been thrown into the deep end of Rescue Work. Water Spout was monitoring, occasionally shouting advice, but he was letting them make their own mistakes.

"Thanks, Kaminari!" Midoriya said, giving her a thumbs up. "You've got this!"

She unleashed her Extension Cords, sending one each towards one of the downed wires covering the cars. Inside, animatronic dummies could be seen thrashing in some kind of approximation of panicked civilians. "Okay," she whispered to herself. "You can do this. Just don't ruin your brain."

_Contact_! The second her Extension Cords made contact with the power lines, she could feel the electricity coursing through them, electricity that made its way through her body. She could feel the edges of her thoughts growing cloudy already, but pushed past it, discharging small amounts out the tips of her Cords to keep it from overwhelming her. Her Cords themselves were far strong than they looked and with a grunt, she shifted the power lines off the cars. Then, and only then, did she put some of that electricity back. It was enough to overwhelm the lines, shutting them down. So much power there, it seemed like almost a shame to shut it down.

Chihiro let out a breath, retracting her Cords. That had been closer than she'd like to admit. It took a lot too fry her brain, but that threat was always there, always in the back of her mind. "Go!" she shouted to the others. Time for worrying about that later, time for action now.

The others went into action, moving towards some of the trapped vehicles. Sato went to work on one, the door to the car dented and caved in from where another car had crashed into it. His teeth took great bites out of the door, until the driver could be safely removed. Sato assessed that they weren't too hurt to be moved, before handing them off to Iida, who flew them to the triage zone behind them.

Mika and Midoriya worked on the other car, Midoriya adjusting his personal gravity to let him pull the door off its hinges, before giving the passenger to Mika to carry. She might not have been able to fly, but for land speed, no one but Haimawari was faster than she was. Her hooves thundered against the concrete as she ran.

Chihiro wasn't idle either, moving on to the next car and trapped driver. The car's door was locked, so she couldn't just get them out. Midoriya and the others were all busy with other cars, so what could she… She snapped her fingers. With as much force as she could muster she shot her right Cord through the back window of the car, piercing the glass. It was a good thing the skin on her Cords was tougher than the rest of her skin, the prongs hard enough to provide sufficient force. Carefully, she directed her Cord inside, watching it through the driver-side window, until she could get it wrapped around the inside door handle. She gave a little pull, the door came open and she let her Cord retract.

"I need an extract!" she called out, reading the vital signs monitors on the animatronic driver. If this had been a live person, there was no way they could get mobile on their own, and she wasn't certain she had the physical strength to move them herself.

She looked around. Iida and Mika were ferrying their own charges back to Triage, while Midoriya and Sato worked on freeing more drivers. Chihiro was on her own. Okay. So. Use what she had.

Carefully, she put the driver's arm around her should, extending one of her Cords to wrap around their waist to give herself some additional support. She bent her knees and lifted as best she could. The animatronic was heavy, but if she was careful, she could move it. The Triage area seemed impossibly far away.

She put one foot in front of the other, feeling like she would probably be walking forever if she was going to get anywhere. But she could do this. She _would_ do this. Heroes saved people. And she was going to be a Hero.

She saw Mika running back from the Triage Zone, when she skidded to a stop, nearly losing her balance in the process. Chihiro knew her friend wasn't good with sudden stops or changes in terrain, not with her hooves.

"Chihiro!" Mika called out, worry and fear all over her face, one arm extended and her finger pointing up.

Chihiro looked up in time to see another power line coming down. Instinct took over and her Extension Cords shot out, connecting with the power line. The power surged through her like a bolt of white hot heat and she could feel the electricity from her toes to her hair, which started standing on end. It had to be… she knew this… she knew how much electricity felt like what… had to be… a lot. No time to try and discharge it, her body hungrily drank it in.

Definitely a lot of volts.

Like, at least seven.

No! She couldn't… go all… stupid. She had to rescue this… guy? Was the training animatronic a guy? Did he have an animatronic… guy part? …Was it detachable? She felt him fall and realized she should probably have been sadder about that.

Behind the electric crackle in ears, she was vaguely aware of someone screaming and of some kind of alarm going off. Did she oversleep again? Because she was… wasn't she already at school? Did she forget to go to school? No, Dad only bought that one once…

Where was she going? There had to be somewhere she was trying to get. Which way? Which wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyy….

She felt the flow of electricity into her body suddenly stop and she sank to her knees. She blinked several times, trying to clear her eyes.

"Chihiro!" she became aware of Mika shouting her name. "Speak to me, Chihiro! How many fingers am I holding up?"

Chihiro blinked again, trying to focus on the gloved fingers being held in front of her face. "Whey whey whey?"

"Three wheys! Three fingers! She's okay!"

"I don't think that's how it works, Mineta," she heard Midoriya say.

"She absorbed a considerable amount of electricity very quickly," Iida said. "Lacking the time to discharge it, it would have circulated through her entire body."

Chihiro felt gloved hands on her face and her vision cleared enough to find herself looking at Water Spout. She could see her reflection in his faceplate. "Whey?" she asked. Why was everybody so concerned?

"Don't worry," Water Spout said. "Eri's on the way. You don't seem hurt, but I'd like to get you checked out anyway."

"Wheyyyy?" Get who checked out? Why? What had happened? Why were her thoughts so fuzzy?

"Is it always like this?" Sato asked.

"I dunno," Mika said. "She's never gotten a shock that big before."

Seriously, why was everyone so upset? Mika didn't do worried. Why was she doing it now? "Whey… are you all acting like something's wrong? And do any of you remember which wheeey I was going?" The words poured out slow and clumsy, but they took bits of cotton out of her brain with them.

"She's okay!" Mika dropped down next to her, wrapping her arms around her. "Don't scare me like that, Chi! I can't lose my best wingwoman!"

Gently, Water Spout peeled Mika back. "Give her some room, please." He focused his attention on her. "How're you feeling?"

"Whey better," Chihiro said. "Head's whey less foggy… Just… need a minute."

Not exactly her finest hour, was it?

"You know," Doctor Izumi said, shining a light in Chihiro's eyes, "you bounce back much faster than your father. Your overall resistance is lower, but it takes less time for you to bounce back." She was doing a cursory examination of Chihiro in the Triage Zone, just to make sure she was all right.

Chihiro shrugged. It wasn't anything new to her. They'd discovered that when she was fairly young, playing games of who could shock who harder with her dad. After a couple of times of it, her mom had given him such a chewing out over frying her brain and his. Then there had been the times she'd stuck her Cords in an outlet. After that, they'd gone to a Quirk specialist. Because her Quirk was concentrated in her Cords, it took less to fry her brain, but her recovery period was significantly shorter. And it worked both ways for her, since she could absorb electricity as well as discharge it.

"Doesn't make it suck any less. One bad shock and I'm "whey" out there."

Doctor Izumi frowned. "That's a lot more than some people could say. If that had been anyone else out there, I'd be using my Quirk on them, instead of giving you a basic check-up."

Now it was Chihiro's turn to frown. She hadn't thought about that. Being able to live through things had to count for something, right. "I still don't think I'll make a very good Rescue Hero though."

"Not all Heroes do. But it's important to know your limits. My dad taught me how to fight, but I'd still not be your best choice for a frontline fighter. You'd probably give the bad guy a pretty good zap, though."

This did get a small smile out of Chihiro. "Maybe. Just got to watch it."

Doctor Izumi tilted her head slightly, tapping a finger on her chin. "You know, I'm wondering if you couldn't do with a good Support Consultation."

"…huh?" Maybe her brain was too fried still, but the term didn't ring any bells.

"Something new we're trying this year at the school. Basically a three way consultation between you, a representative from the Support Department, and a Quirk Counselor. A way to better match up students with proper support gear in advance. Lots of students end up going to the Support Department later in the year, but if we start now, we can get ahead of any problems."

"Like Dad's disks?" Chihiro asked. "Or Mom's speakers?"

"Something like that," Doctor Izumi said. "In your case… I'm wondering if you wouldn't be better off using your Quirk to power other things. You could have a lot of options that way. Even rescue gear."

Now that was something she hadn't really considered before… A battery instead of a stun gun? Sure, she and Dad could keep a phone charged like nobody's business, but this was different…

"Okay, yeah," Chihiro said. "That sounds… good, actually."

Doctor Izumi smiled. "It's our job as teachers to help you reach your full potential. Shocking, I know. This is just more of that."

"…Did you just make a pun?"

She smiled, mischievously. "Just don't tell Dad. He thinks a sense of humor is a character flaw." She have Chihiro's shoulder a pat. "I think you're good, Kaminari. I don't even have to recommend benching you. I'll work with your parents and the Support Department to get that consultation set up."

"Is she okay?" Mika asked, coming up behind Doctor Izumi. Chihiro gave her friend a thumb's up. "Good! Because I've got terrible news! I think Midoriya and Iida are _dating_, Chi! She was sitting _real _close to him when we were taking a break! I'm pretty sure she was gonna kiss him if Water Spout hadn't broken it up! _Two_ more of our classmates are off the menu, and I'm still single! It's the tragedy of the century!"

Chihiro couldn't help but smile. Some things never changed.


	21. Chapt 19: Shota Sounds Off

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 19: Shota Shinso Sounds Off**

"_Yow_! Look out and shout, listeners! This is Present Mic and the time is 0630 on this beautiful Tuesday morning! If you've got work today in Hosu City, better give yourself extra time, because there's a Villain attack downtown that has _everything_ all tied up! Fortunately, news outlets on the scene are reporting that Ingenium and his sidekicks are on the case! We'll keep you updated when we know more. But for now, here's the latest hit from Jiro and the Jamming Wheys!"

Shota's sleepy fingers prodded at his radio alarm clock until he found the volume button, lowering it to something less likely to jolt him out of bed. He'd stayed up too late (again), reading through the various Hero News sites and watching videos of Heroes in action. He always paid for it the next morning, but he always considered it worth it.

He threw back the covers and put both feet on the floor, blinking his eyes for a few moments as he adjusted to being awake. His dad apparently survived most of the time on about four hours of sleep, but he must have gotten his need for sleep from his mom.

Pro-Heroes stared back at him from every corner of the room, from the posters along every wall, to the statues and action figures that covered nearly every other available surface. It had been a real challenge deciding what to bring to U.A. with him, but he'd somehow managed. But maybe he'd trade a few things out the first time he went home.

As he set his phone to voice response mode as he started to get dressed. "What's the current Top Ten Hero Rankings?" he asked it, one of his pre-programmed searches. While the Official Billboard rankings only came out biannually, there were plenty of other Hero-fans and communities out there using similar algorithms to track on a more regular basis.

A hologram popped up of the results:

Deku

Lemillion

Shoto

Ground Zero

Nejire-chan and Suneater

Ingenium

Rodeo

Gale Force

Froppy

Red Riot and Real Steel

Most of those weren't surprising. Deku and Lemillion traded off spots every now and then, though it typically went to Deku. Both had been working overtime in the advent of the Quirk Virus outbreak. Shoto had pretty consistently held the Number Three spot for a number of years, though Ground Zero occasionally rose to the Number Three or Two spot for about a day or two before dropping back down. Ingenium had been pretty solidly Number Six for even longer.

Neijire-chan and Suneater both worked at the same agency they'd founded with Lemillion ("The Big Three Agency") after he'd gotten his Quirk back, and typically worked together still, even when his duties drew him apart from them. Even without him, they'd racked up a number of impressive victories, rescues, and captures to their name. Hero couples usually did. His parents frequently worked together too and had similar results, her Quirk complimenting his quite nicely. Even if they were largely Underground Heroes, operating below most people's radar.

The only real surprise on the list was Rodeo, Mika Mineta's mother Pony. After he fixed his tie and slipped on his jacket, Shota opened the article associated with the most recent list for more information. She'd previously been hovering in the low to mid-teens, but it looked like after a victory against the Western-themed Villain group known as the Rustlers, she'd been propelled up several notches. It looked like the Villains had taken a bullet train hostage and she'd pulled off the rescue single handedly.

Unfortunately, there weren't very many video clips of the rescue, just a couple of hastily taken and shaky cell phone videos. There were more when the train had pulled in the station and she'd walked out with them all tied up, but those weren't nearly as exciting.

On the other hand, a linked article showed that a newer Pro-Hero, Wreck-It, was rapidly rising in the ranks following his fight with Fullmetal last week, having hit Number Twenty-Seven already. Most people were speculating he'd crack the teens by the end of the year. Looking at the time, Shota saved a video of Wreck-It fighting Cy-Bug for later. If he wanted breakfast, he'd have to go down now.

There was never enough time for the important stuff!

Shota came out of his room at the same time that Isamu Haimawari was coming out of his. Tall and skinny, Haimawari had a good six inches or more on him. Shota knew he was kind of short, but some people like Haimawari, or worse, Akaya and Shoji, really drove it home. He gave him a wave, that turned into a yawn. "Morning, Haimawari!"

"Oh, morning, Shinso," he said. "You, ah, you look tired."

Shota shrugged. "Stayed up too late again watching Hero videos. I'd watch one, and then it just kept suggesting more!"

Haimawari laughed. "You do know that's just what it does, right? For the clicks and ads?"

"Yeah, well… they shouldn't have so much cool stuff if they're gonna do that!"

He laughed again as they headed for the stairs. "If you say so, little dude. Just don't let Aizawa catch you napping. I don't think it's be pretty. He's really scary." He held open the door to the stairwell for Shota.

"Oh, I don't worry too much about that. Uncle Shota's not nearly as scary as he seems." He knew Uncle Shota had a softer side, even if he put up a hard face for his class. It was just because he wanted them to be the best Heroes they could be!

Haimawari missed a step and began skidding down the stairs, only stopping himself by throwing out his hands and using his Quirk to brake himself. He got uneasily back to his feet. "'Uncle Shota'?" he asked, sounding as if he didn't really believe what he was saying. "How do you two have the same name?"

It took Shota a minute to remember that Haimawari hadn't grown up with the rest of them. It had only been a week, but he'd already gotten completely used to having him around. "I'm named after him," he explained. "He's my godfather. He was my dad's mentor, back in the day. Helped get him into the Hero Course for the second year and everything."

Haimawari tilted his head. "That's a thing? You can get into the Hero course late?"

"Oh yeah!" Shota said. "Lots of Pro-Heroes started off in the General Education Department but got to transfer to the Heroics Course after they made their mark in the Sports' Festival! It's pretty much a U.A. tradition! There's the Negotiator, and the Safari Samurai, and Iron Blood, and…"

"Wow," Haimawari said. "Too bad more schools don't do something like that. Dad applied to a Hero school too… but missed the exam. He might have made it up after. Course, if he did that, he probably never would have met Mom, so…" He shrugged. "Guess things work out."

"Your dad was gonna be a Hero?" he asked. "Awww, man! You said he's got the same Quirk as you, right? Your Quirk is so cool! I bet he could have made an awesome one!"

That got a smile out of Haimawari as they reached the bottom of the stairs and headed into the Common Room. "Yeah… well, guess it's up to me then."

"You'll do great," Shota said. "I know it!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, dude," Haimawari said.

The Common Room was abuzz with activity, with most either eating breakfast, fixing their breakfast, or otherwise engaged. Shota saw Toshi sitting with Takuma Sero and the Iida Twins on one of the sofas. Sora Iida was sitting very close to Toshi, practically in his lap, while Takuma and Tensei Iida were sitting close, but not as close, though both looked rather relaxed with each other. Everybody had already known about Sero and Tensei Iida, of course, since Kimiko Ojiro had blasted it to the farthest corners of the internet, but Toshi and Sora Iida was new. Good for them, though.

"Haimawari!" Chihiro Kaminari's voice cut across the room, from where she was sitting with Mika Mineta. "Your mom's a music reporter, right?"

Haimawari looked over in their direction, maybe looking a little pale from the attention. "Ah, yeah?" he said.

"Then get over here! You've got to have the inside scoop on these Double*Pop girls!" Kaminari said, waving a magazine with the twin, pink-haired girls on the cover.

"Bunch of wannabes," Haimawari said, looking disgusted for the first time since Shota had known him. "Hang on, let me get a Pop-Tart and I'll give you the real gossip."

He gave Shota an apologetic grin. "Sorry, I've gotta get in on this. Just… come check on me in about fifteen to make sure they haven't kidnapped me to have their way with me,"

"Oookay?" Shota said. He wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but he'd still check up on him anyway. He'd grab some cereal and then go join Asuka Tokoyami, Izumi Todoroki, and Katsumi Kirishima-Bakugo for some quick breakfast before class.

Hopefully the morning wouldn't drag on too long. He couldn't wait to get back to the USJ!

"Go, Shinso!" Akaya Koda directed, pointing with one massive hand. "My trees have grown strong, but they will not hold back rubble's collapse for long!"

Back the USJ, they were continuing their Urban Rescue Training. Yesterday, they'd been training with Doc Clock (she wasn't very high in the Hero Rankings, but Aunt Eri was definitely one of the top Heroes in his book), and today they were working with All Might himself! The former Number One Hero in Japan and the world! The Symbol of Peace! And he was still teaching after all these years! It was the coolest thing in the universe!

Shota was working with Koda, Takiyo Aoyama, Sero, and Izumi. The cityscape around them was in ruins, with numerous small fires and many of the buildings in states of significant collapse. They'd already cleared three buildings and were on to a fourth. Koda used her Quirk to fast grow trees from seeds (decades of growth in seconds!), shaping their growth enough to reinforce a collapsed section of a building. But they wouldn't hold forever. So they had to know how many people were inside to be rescued.

Shota took a deep breath and concentrated on his Quirk, sending out as high a pitch as he could manage, almost past the range of human hearing. Invisible waves of sound penetrated the building, bouncing all around it, until they bounced back to him, painting a perfect picture in his mind. He could see every nook, cranny, door, pipe, light fixture, and "person" inside.

"Five people inside," he said. "Two on the ground floor, three on the third."

He had spent a _lot_ of time with Quirk Specialists and Quirk Counselors over the years. His was a true, rare, once in a family line mutation, completely different from anything anyone else on either side of his family had. They were still figuring out everything he could do. He just knew he could make a lot of things happen with different sounds. And every time he found something new, it meant it was a new way he could help people. But sonar was really useful here. Not that it didn't have its drawbacks. There was the time he'd used it when Kimiko Ojiro was around…

"I can take Todoroki up," Sero said, pointing to the third floor. "I can get there, but I can't get past the fires. You up for that?"

Izumi nodded. She looked a little tired; she'd been making lots of ice to fight the fires, only occasionally and carefully letting out little puffs of her own flames to balance herself out. The silver pieces on her costume were flashing yellow. Shota knew they did something to help regulate her temperatures, but he didn't know what the flashing meant. He hoped she was okay.

"I can manage," Izumi said, confidently. "Just get me close enough."

"Guess that leaves us on the ground floor!" Shota said to Aoyama.

Aoyama shrugged, his glow bright and partially obscuring his features. "I suppose they shall be grateful for the rescue," he said.

"Best hurry," Koda said. "I shall do what I can to reinforce what I have already grown, but I fear providence shall not be with us for long."

They moved. With Todoroki on his back, Sero fired a strand of his Acid Tape upward, pulling them towards the third floor. Shota sprinted inside, Aoyama hot on his heels and soon passing him.

He probably could have navigated with his Sonar—though the picture it had given him was fading fast from his mind—but Shota was grateful for Aoyama's light. With the power out in the ruined building, it cast a soft glow over everything.

"You said there were _deux_," Aoyama said. "Where?" He held up a hand and concentrated, focusing his light through the reflective armband he wore as part of his Support gear. The armband focused the light into a powerful spotlight beam, which he traced over the dark corners of the room.

Shota pointed a little to the left of where Aoyama's spotlight had fallen. "One there… one further in the back."

The ground began to shake and pieces of rubble fell from the ceiling. Aoyama let out a frightened yelp and jumped to the side as one nearly fell on him. "Then let us get them and get out as soon as possible," he said.

Swiftly, they checked the first of the animatronics. There was a fallen filing cabinet pinning its legs and the vital signs meters displaying on its chest told a story of a great many injuries. Shota grabbed onto the cabinet and tried to lift it, grunting and straining with all his might, but it was too heavy.

Aoyama let out a sigh. "Allow me to show you how it is done." He pointed a hand at the filing cabinet and made some adjustment to his arm band. A beam of light as wide as his fist shot out, striking the cabinet and slicing through it, splitting it into the portion that was over the animatronic's legs and the portion that wasn't. The beam continued on and went into the wall behind it, leaving a smoking hole and red hot edges on the cabinet.

The lights on the animatronic lit up like a Christmas tree before shutting off completely. Shota reached a hand towards it and pulled it back. The animatronic and the air around it was still hot from Aoyama's laser beam. No wonder it had… died? Was that the right word for what had happened?

He knew Aoyama was powerful, but he also knew he mostly relied on his Support gear to control his Quirk. Shota's eyes went wide as he looked at his classmate.

"_Non…_" Aoyama said. "I did not mean… We… we must have been too late already!" His expression rapidly changed, first horrified, then confident. He gave his cape a flick. "Let us see about the other one, Shinso."

Shota was very sure that they hadn't been too late and that it had been Aoyama's fault. But after seeing the horrified look on his French classmate's face, he wasn't going to push it. Maybe he'd be a little nicer after that.

As they headed to the back room, the ground shook again and more of the ceiling began to fall. A big piece of the ceiling fell near Aoyama, causing him to shriek and Shota to flinch at the noise of the crash. More started to fall, but when Aoyama tried to move, he couldn't! His cape had been caught under the rubble that had nearly hit him. And more was falling…

Shota screamed. The air around the rippled with the sonic energy he had unleashed, forming a protective dome around both of them. Several more pieces of rubble fell from the ceiling, but they bounced off the dome. Finally, it stopped and Shota could breathe again, coughing until his throat felt right again. That had been longer than he typically used his Quirk for. He was best in short bursts and could only keep it up as long as he could draw in enough air to make sound.

Aoyama looked at him with wide eyes. "You saved me," he said, his voice soft and quiet. "_Merci_."

"You'd have done the same!" Shota told him, even if part of him wondered if that wasn't true. "And they wouldn't let us really get hurt, not during training!"

"Still…" Aoyama frowned and tugged at his cape, until it came away from the rubble with a long _riiiiiip_. "A pity. My poor cape."

Shota was going to tell him that he shouldn't wear it, that very few Heroes wore them these days, exactly because of what had happened. He even remembered reading about an American Support Gear and costume designer who had campaigned very hard for the international Hero community to outlaw capes in their entirety, though she had not been successful in that. Too many people thought they were too iconic to give up. But Shota could quote a lot of statistics on why they were a bad idea…

"Aoyama! Shinso!" Koda's voice rang out. "The structure is becoming unstable! You need to get out!"

Both turned and ran for the door. Shota hated leaving the exercise incomplete…but it looked like they had no choice.

The second they hit daylight, the building finished collapsing, taking Koda's trees with it. "Thank you for your sacrifice, my woody friends," she said quietly. "Rest well knowing the lessons I have learned here will mean it was not in vain." Her rocky features were tired and a little sad. Shota knew she took it hard whenever her plants were hurt, even in training.

"You two okay?" Sero asked. "You were in there a long time." Soot covered his costume and he held his helmet in the crook of his arm, scrubbing at the faceplate with a cloth.

"And your cape is torn, Aoyama," Izumi said. She was letting flames dance over her fingertips, the blinking lights on the silver pieces of her costume fading from yellow to green.

"We just ran into _un petit _bit of trouble," Aoyama said, putting on a proud grin. But he only held it for a minute, Shota bet he was remembering that they'd all be reviewing the video later. "But… Shinso was quite good at getting us out of it. Even if we did not complete the rescue."

"An unfortunate truism of being a Hero," All Might said, as he left the safe zone he'd been monitoring them from. Shota had seen plenty of videos of him in his prime, but there was something captivating about the man he'd mostly known as Toshi's grandfather. He'd been a Hero longer than almost anyone; and Shota knew he was lucky to learn whatever he could from him.

"Sometimes," All Might continued, "you cannot save everyone. Sometimes… you will be pushed to your limits and it will still not be enough. We hold tremendous power and responsibility in our hands. Our profession is an unforgiving one, one which demands perfection of us, when the slightest misstep or wrong choice can cost lives. But if you train your minds, bodies, and Quirks… You can at least ensure those moments are as few and far between as possible.

"I think you all know where you can begin to improve, but that being said… You are all showing great progress! We will discuss the specifics later, but the other groups should be finishing up and Water Spout and Doc Clock will be wanting to continue your first aid lessons. But know that I am very proud of all of you! You are truly showing you know what it means to Go Beyond… Plus Ultra!"

Shota was pretty sure he'd never felt happier. All Might believed in him!

"_Remember, kids, playing by the rules is super manly! If you see someone cheating, let them know that's not fair! And that's what Red Riot Sayz!"_

Shota turned down the volume on his computer while the ad between videos loaded. Someone had uploaded a bunch of Public Service Announcements that Red Riot had done more than a decade ago and he just had to watch them all! He wouldn't be up too late if he did that…

"Shota, go to bed."

He looked up from his computer to find Asuka, Izumi, Toshi, and Haimiwari in his room. He must have been watching so intently he didn't even hear them!

"Go to bed," Asuka repeated, crossing her arms. Some of the feathers on top of her head were rising slightly, which Shota recognized as a sign she was mad at him.

"Sorry, dude," Haimiwari said, an apologetic smile on his face. "But you looked _really_ tired this morning. I had to call in the heavy artillery."

"I'm only gonna watch a couple more," Shota said. And he was! Probably. Sometimes they were just too tempting!

"Those'll probably get taken down anyway," Toshi said. "That's not an official video channel."

They might? Then he had to watch them all tonight! He started to turn back towards his computer.

"Maybe not the best thing to say, Toshi, *chirp*" Asuka said.

"…Ooops?"

"Shota," Izumi said. "It is only Tuesday and you've already been tired both mornings this week. This is not healthy for you or your future as a Hero."

"Dad doesn't sleep that much," he tried.

"But you are not your father," Izumi continued. "And besides… your godfather would tell you to rest whenever you are able. We must insist you go to bed."

Shota became uncomfortably aware of the four sets of eyes on him. And of the fact that despite her soft voice, there was a firmness to Izumi's words that meant he wasn't going to win this argument.

"Okay," he said, dejectedly, getting out of his chair.

"Turn the computer off," Asuka said.

"And no using your phone either," Izumi added.

They'd really thought of everything! He was definitely trapped. Well… one day without too many videos probably wouldn't kill him.

He'd just have to watch even more tomorrow!


	22. Chapt 20: Kimiko Stands Out

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 20: Kimiko Ojiro Stands Out**

Kimiko was pretty sure the boredom was going to kill her. Of course, she'd said that about the rest of the morning's classes, but Hero Art History was probably going to nuke her brain the most. It was not nearly as interesting as the name made it sound, being more about the _art_ of _heroing _throughout history. Which was _boring_!

At least their teacher was hot. Skyline was tall and blonde, with muscles that showed clearly through his sleeveless blue and white bodysuit. The big white cape was probably a bit much though. About half the time, he was nearly tripping over it or getting it caught on something. For an American, his Japanese was surprisingly good. Or maybe not so surprising, considering his father, Captain Celebrity, had relocated from America to Japan ages ago.

Even now, the boredom sept in, as Skyline was explaining about how, many years ago, an accident involving an American Pro-Hero had nearly lead to massive loss of civilian life and numerous lawsuits and injuries. This has led to several countries (but not Japan) deciding to revoke all Pro-Hero licenses for nearly twenty years. Boring! Who cared about something that had happened that long ago, before any of them or even their parents were even born? Besides, Quirks were a lot less common in those days. There'd been more people without them than with. These days, nearly ninety percent of the population had them. They'd never do anything like that again!

One of the nice things about being invisible? So long as she wasn't, like, completely slumped over asleep, no one could tell if she wasn't actually paying attention. Well, her dad could. But he could do the same for Mom too. He'd had plenty of practice with invisible people.

"All right, who can tell me the name of the law that led to the re-registration of Pro-Heroes in those countries that had outlawed them?" Skyline asked.

The hands in the front row all went up: Asuka Tokoyami, Toshi Midoriya, Shota Shinso, and Izumi Todoroki. Skyline's eyes scanned the room. "Ojiro?"

Crap! She had no idea what the answer to the question was. She'd zoned out during that part of the lecture. "It's, ah, um… I don't know, Mister Skyline."

"Perhaps someone—someone not in the front row—could help Miss Ojiro? No, not you, Mineta, you've got too much American in your background not to know this already."

Skyline's eyes looked over the other students again and Kimiko could tell he was making a concentrated effort to look around her, not through her, to look at the students in the back row. Not everybody did. She was used to it.

"Haimawari?" Skyline said. "What was the name of the act? And bonus points to anyone who can tell me something else about it."

"Ah, the official name was the International Hero Accord." Haimawari said. "In point of fact, the same Pro-Hero who caused the de-registration was part of the group that led to Pro-Heroes being registered again."

"Good," Skyline said. "Not many people know the second part. The people who write the textbooks usually try to hide that tidbit. How'd you know it?"

"My dad's a major Hero fanboy," Haimawari said. "I kind of am too, I guess."

Skyline grinned. "That does explain your essay from last week. I was pretty sure Midoriya or Shinso had written it, until I double-checked the name." A soft laughter rippled through most of the class.

Just what they needed. Another nerd! Midoriya and Shinso were too much sometimes as it was.

Their teacher shot a look at the clock. "Okay, almost lunchtime, so I'll shut up for now. Homework for tomorrow is Chapter 12 in your textbooks and one page on the repercussions of the Leopardon Act of '78."

Kimiko barely stopped herself from letting out a groan.

"Okay, Kimiko, we're recording," Takuma Sero (one of her total BFF's, even if he utterly failed at being a gay best friend. The thought of some of the things he considered fashionable made her shudder) said, holding up his phone. "And three… two… one!"

The two of them and Kenta Sato had finished their lunches and, being barred from filming more "_Will Sato Eat It?_" in the cafeteria, they'd had to adjust their filming scheduling and gone with one of the projects that starred her instead.

The irony of a video series starring someone who couldn't be seen was not lost on her. But she came from a long line of invisible people. Her mom was, both of her mom's parents were, and so were several other relatives of the Hagakure side, though some were more visible than others. She actually had a cousin who was just slightly transparent!

And sure, maybe she didn't really know what she looked like, having been invisible since she was born. But she knew who she was. And she had plenty of friends and family that saw her anyway. Dad could read her and Mom like a book, no matter how small the clues.

"Hello, everyone!" she said, grinning and looking into the camera, giving it an exaggerated wave. "Can you tell I'm smiling? Because I'm totally smiling! I'm Kimiko Ojiro and this is _Gossip Corner_! Bringing you all the juiciest gossip straight from the student body of U.A!"

She held up her own phone, showing Takuma's social media page and one of the selfies he had taken on his date with Tensei Iida. "Okay, so this one is old news, but it bears repeating! My best friend and total pink cutie pie, Takuma Sero, had himself a date with this pink-haired hunk of jet-fueled hotness, Tensei Iida! And they're going on another one! Let's all wish them well and hope we get lots more pictures come beach season! Hashtag—Pinkysquared!

"But wait… there's more!" She turned and pointed behind her, the sleeve of her uniform mostly showing the way. Takuma followed with his phone, zooming in on the table across the room where Midoriya sat with Tokoyami, Todoroki, Haimawari, Shinso, and Sora Iida. Iida was sitting as close to Midoriya as humanly possible while not actually sitting in his lap, pressed right up against him. Midoriya himself looked a little flustered, but ultimately happy.

"Yes, that's right, it's a two for one Iida Special! It looks like Sora Iida is now dating Toshi Midoriya! This one flew right under everyone's radar… even mine! That's right, viewers, I literally did not find this out until Monday afternoon!"

Takuma brought the phone back around to focus on her. "How did this happen? Will they stay together? Will she accidentally kill him testing some new gadget? Will someone have to explain the birds and bees to them in an incredibly awkward conversation?" She shrugged. "That's what makes this so great! We! Don't! Know! But I promise you all, as soon as I find anything out, you'll all be the first to know! Hashtag—Iidagreen!"

"And just so you don't think I'm _just_ focusing on Class 1-A… I have it on good authority that David Togata, of Support Class 1-G…" She snapped her fingers and pointed to a spot across the room. Takuma followed again and focused in on where a tall, skinny boy with a mane of wild blonde hair, glasses, and extra-long, multi-jointed fingers, sat with others from the Support Department and also Tensei Iida.

"…Has broken up with his Junior High girlfriend! That's right, ladies, he's on the market! Get him while you can and remember to be direct! You know these Support Department types don't always pick up on subtle flirting! Hashtag—SingleScientist!"

Takuma returned the phone to filming her again. "That's all for today! But remember my promise to you, viewers! If it's worth knowing, I'll make sure you know it! I'm Kimiko Ojiro and this has been _Gossip Corner_! Remember to hit like and subscribe!"

Cutting the video, Takuma gave her a thumbs' up. "Great job, Kimiko," he said. "I'll add some stuff in post and get it uploaded tonight."

"That wasn't a nice thing to do to David," Kenta said, crossing his arms. "You don't know if he even wants another girlfriend that fast." Sure, he was happy to go along with whatever Takuma came up with, but apparently now he had standards?

She shrugged. "You worry too much, Kenta! I'm just putting it out there in the wild. I can't be responsible for what happens after that! He'll probably thank me for getting him out of those dirty workshops! Don't be such a wet blanket."

Besides, if you wanted to get noticed and you were invisible, you either went big or went home.

"She's got a point, Kenta," Takuma said. "And it's good for hits. Besides, it's a big school. Dave'll probably never notice."

"Just for that," Kenta said, holding up a paper bag, "I'm not sharing these donuts Dad made me."

Horror swept over her face, but Kenta and Takuma just looked at her. "…I'm making my horrified face, right now! If you don't share, I'll… I'll…" She waved her arms wildly. "I'll never forgive you!"

Kenta just laughed. "Relax," he said. "I'll share. I'll share. I've got enough for all three of us."

There was no way she was missing a chance at Kenta's dad's treats, and they were as good as promised.

"You know, Kimiko," Takuma said, "one thing I've always wondered… how do you find your mouth?"

She rolled her eyes. Not that he could see it. So she put a little extra irritation into her voice. "How do you find _your_ mouth, Takuma?"

"I dunno. I just do."

"Same thing for me," she said. "I've just got better proprioception than most people. Mom and my grandparents do too."

"Proprio-what?" Kenta asked.

"It means I've got a really good sense of where my limbs and body parts are," she said.

"Oh," he said. "Learn something new every day."

Back at the USJ, Kimiko was working with Daisuke Shoji, Tokoyami, Haimawari, Tensei Iida, and Katsumi Kirishima-Bakugo. Having already worked with All Might and Water Spout, they were now working with Doc Clock. So far, the results had been somewhat mixed. While Tokoyami's Frog-Shadow and Daisuke's strength and Extendo-Limbs were ideal for rescue operations, and the mobility offered by Haimawari and Iida's Quirks at least offered them good options for extraction, neither her Quirk not Kirishima-Bakugo's was exactly good at clearing the rubble or getting into tight places to rescue someone.

Or at least, that's what she'd thought going into this week. She was used to using her Quirk for hiding things or hiding herself (thank goodness she didn't have to go into the field naked like Mom did!), or even occasionally disoriented a robot or security camera. But on Monday, All Might had suggested that she could use it to render rubble or walls invisible, letting her and everyone else see beyond them for easy visualization of rescues or finding buried people.

That had been a revelation in and of itself. She had some memories of using her Quirk to try and look inside Christmas presents, but all she'd managed to do then was make the entire package and everything in it invisible. But with a little coaching, she'd found she could do layers.

What Doc Clock was now suggesting was even more surprising.

"You're like a portable x-ray machine," Doc Clock told her. Both were sitting on the ground, each on one side of one of the rescue animatronics. She'd already put the others to work and was watching them through a small monitor, in-between offering Kimiko some instruction. Somewhere inside the simulated city, she was sure she could hear Kirishima-Bakugo cursing about how stupid the whole thing was and how she hadn't gotten to blow anything up in three days.

"No radiation, minimal danger of potential interactions with other Quirks, though if they've been really badly injured or burned, you may have trouble finding a safe point of contact," Doc Clock went on. "But you could do a lot for field triage, maybe a more if you went for a Hero-Paramedic's license. A first responder who can do an in-depth assessment and more than basic first aid? You'd be remarkable."

Remarkable? Maybe. She'd pretty much given herself to mostly being an Underground Hero. With her stealth and the martial arts training she'd gotten from her dad, she knew she could be formidable when the situation called for it. But even that was at odds with the media personality she wanted to cultivate along with Takuma and Kenta. This was something that had never occurred to her…

"Okay," she said, "so walk me through this."

Doc Clock nodded, looking down at the dummy. "So the animatronics aren't a perfect simulation of a person, but they have enough inner workings that we can give it a shot. If this works out and you want to keep going with it, we can find some live people for you to work on. If nothing else, I'm sure Dad can "persuade" some of your classmates into volunteering."

While Doc Clock—Eri—had been the unofficial mascot of her parents' Class 1-A and thus was familiar to all of them, Kimiko still found it almost impossible to believe that the laid-back, cheerful doctor was their dour Homeroom teacher's adopted daughter.

"But what you're going to do," she went on, "is concentrate on just using your Quirk to make a small portion of their chest invisible. Just enough so we can see through the top layer and see what's inside. Give it a shot. You can't break it."

Kimiko sucked in a breath and placed a hand on the dummy's chest, concentrating on her Quirk. Just a little bit invisible… just a little bit invisible…

Slowly and spreading out from her palm, the dummy's chest began to look like it was just fading away, revealing a most of mechanical workings inside. "I did it!" She threw up both hands in the air in a cheer. Of course, the second she broke contact, the invisibility went away.

Doc Clock gave her a smile. "You did. We were all pretty sure you could, but to see it… very impressive, Ojiro."

"Wait," Kimiko said, as things clicked in her head. "…If I do that on a real person, will I see all their guts and stuff?"

"I'm afraid so," Doc Clock said.

Kimiko shuddered. She hadn't considered that. "Eeeeewwww!"

"Most people have lots of "stuff'," Doc Clock said. "And with some Quirks, we're discovering new "stuff" all the time. You'd have to do a lot of studying to stay current."

"Double ew!" Kimiko exclaimed. Still… "But you think I'd be good at it?"

"You've got a good eye and an invaluable Quirk. I think you'd be _great_ at it."

Kimiko fought the urge to fall asleep. After the day's session at the USJ, she'd actually taken up Doc Clock's offer of some more literature to review for Quirk-Paramedics as well as some general medical texts. While some of it was fascinating, some of it was as dusty and dry as could be. It wasn't something she'd ever thought of before and the thought of all those guts made her more than a little sick to her stomach… but it sounded like she might be able to do a lot more good than just sneaking up on people and smacking them upside the head.

"Hey, Kimiko!" she heard her door open and turned to see Takuma and Kenta barging their way in.

Kimiko was neither as girly as her mom, nor as plain as her dad, but her room was definitely her own. Her bookshelves were filled with "tell all" scandalous autobiographies and saucy romance novels, and posters from romance movies and other "chick flicks" covered most of her walls. She also did have a small sparring dummy in one corner, for when she felt like working out a little.

If Takuma had been able to see her, he would have been dead from the withering gaze she gave him. "I told you to knock! What if I'd been changing or naked or something!"

Takuma reared back his head and laughed. "One, if you're doing that, you should lock your door. Two, I'm gay. And three, it's not like there's anything to …"

Kenta put a hand on his shoulder as a warning. "I would _not_ finish that thought, bro. You know she can kick your ass."

She held her gaze on him until he withered under it, even unable to see it. "Okay, okay," he said. "I should have knocked."

"Good," she said. "Now what's up?"

"_Gossip Corner_'s only been uploaded an hour and it's already got nearly a thousand hits! You're gonna be a star, Kimmy, baby!"

She let out a high pitched squeal of delight. "All right!"

"I still think this is a bad idea," Kenta said. "We didn't ask anybody if we could put them out on the internet like that."

"Pshaw," Takuma said. "They'll thank us for making them famous. Besides, they'll never know. We all know all Toshi watches is Hero videos anyway."

"This is gonna bite us in the ass, I just know it," Kenta said.

"Relax," Kimiko assured him. "Besides, this is all on me and Takuma anyway. You're not in these."

"That doesn't mean I wanna see it explode in your faces!"

"You're sweet," she told him. "But relaaaaaax."

Still, as long as she had both of them here…

"Guys," she said, "do you think I'm smart?"

Both of them exchanged a look and seemed to be trying to communicate by some form of guy-telepathy. Takuma in particular looked like he wanted to get out of her room as fast as he could. Kenta, at least, looked inclined to stay.

"You're not dumb," Kenta said, "if that's what you're asking."

"Definitely not," Takuma agreed. "And you're all kinds of clever. Who came up with the plan that got me a boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend?" Kimiko asked. "Wait, you're not distracting me with gossip! Answer the question. Do you think I'm smart? Do you think I could be a doctor?"

"What brought this up, Kimiko?" Kenta asked.

"Just… something Doc Clock said today," she said. "She said I could be a great doctor or paramedic. And that my Quirk would be perfect for it. I'm kinda thinking about it. But it sounds like a _lot_ of wrong. And a _lot_ of studying. It's only been a week and a half and I already know I'm barely keeping up in class. What if I'm perfect for this… and I can't do it?"

"Then you'll be good at something else instead," Takuma said.

"Sounds like a lot of hard work," Kenta added. "But you put a lot of hard work into all that gossip stuff too. If you can quote chapter and verse on film and TV, you can definitely memorize how a body works."

"You wanna study this stuff, we can help," Takuma offered. "I bet there's hundreds of videos out there to help you study it. Finally, my countless hours on the internet are about to pay off!"

She had to laugh at that. "Your grades are worse than _mine_, Takuma. But I appreciate the help."

Later, after the boys had left, she scribbled something on top of the notepad on her desk.

_The Paramedic Hero: X-Ray?_


	23. Chapt21: Daisuke Shoji Lends a Hand

**Their Hero Academia –Chapter 21: Daisuke Shoji Lends a Hand**

While he wasn't quite as early a riser as Toshi Midoriya or Katsumi Kirishima-Bakugo were, Daisuke Shoji was usually the third or fourth of Class 1-A to get up in the morning. Asuka Tokoyami occasionally beat him to third place, though not terribly often. He enjoyed the quiet of the early morning, especially before his floormates awoke and began their various brands of nonsense.

Takuma Sero and Kenta Sato were always up to something and both otherwise preferred to sleep as late as possible, especially Sero. How someone could be so lazy at one thing and so hard-working at another was beyond him. Their obsession with stardom, made worse when Kimiko Ojiro was also involved, likewise made no sense to him. They were going to be Heroes. Whether or not they gained fame as well was beside the point. If they did a good job, anything else would follow.

As for Takiyo Aoyama, the less said, the better. The glowing blonde claimed he needed his "beauty rest." More obsession with fame and glory, if not in quite the same way as Sero and Sato. And far more arrogance than his grades or Heroics performance warranted. Still, he had seemed marginally more tolerable after Tuesday's Heroics Class.

Daisuke, meanwhile, considered himself well aware of his limits. While he was probably the physically strongest member of Class 1-A, he knew his Quirk was one of the most simple. But simple did not mean lacking use. He could put his Extendo-Arms to good use, whether through their strength or his ability to make them lengthen. Even the simple act of having additional arms with which to hold and carry things was useful, to say nothing of their ability to enhance his mobility.

It was a little past 0600, and the kitchen was empty when he entered it. Midoriya would have probably left just a few minutes ago for his morning run, possibly accompanied by Kirishima-Bakugo, possibly not. He liked the quiet and peace. It reminded him of home. Neither of his parents were much on possessions or distractions, and he too liked to live simply. He kept his room sparsely decorated and when it came to the nonsense many of his classmates could get into, he kept his head down.

Which is not to say he considered himself standoffish. He enjoyed the company of the others, for the most part. But he did not feel compelled to share every detail of his life the way some of them did. He came by it naturally. His parents had started dating early into their second week of their first year at U.A., and save for Shoto Todoroki, none of his father's classmates had even known until they'd received invitations to wedding.

Daisuke poured himself a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice, and sliced a pair of apples. All at once. His coordination with using his multiple arms was excellent; he didn't even need to see them if the task was simple enough. He stood at the kitchen counter and began to eat, only looking up when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Good morning, Tokoyami," he said as the door to the stairwell opened.

"How _do_ you do that, Shoji?" Asuka Tokoyami asked.

"I'm a very good listener," he said. Even without his father's extrasensory abilities, he was quite good at paying attention. Easier when you had a life without distractions. "Besides," he added with a small smile, "I heard you and Frog-Shadow arguing is a hard sound to miss."

Tokoyami pinched her beak, below her eyes, where it met the rest of her face. "Of course you did. I swear, she is like a toddler sometimes…"

"Do I want to know what the argument was about?"

She shook her head. "You really don't."

"Then I won't ask anymore follow up questions."

"Thank you, Shoji."

"Of course." He slid one of the plates of sliced apples towards her.

"You're too kind."

"Not at all," Daisuke replied. "You like them and I had extras."

Sometimes, it was as simple as that.

He watched in fascination as Kimiko Ojiro put a hand on the animatronic trapped under the rubble and another on the rubble itself, peeling back layers of both with invisibility. The invisible girl's new trick was certainly impressive, if a bit strange to watch.

"You're okay to lift, Shoji," she said, giving him a thumb's up. "Broken bones, but nothing moving them can make much worse."

"Thank you, Ojiro" he said, even as she ran off to help the next "victim."

With a grunt, Daisuke extended the top set of his Extendo-Arms. It was a strange feeling, his bones, muscles, tendons all growing rapidly, a fusion of his father's Dupli-Arms Quirk and his mother's Extension Quirk. His arms properly extended, he was able to lift the rubble off the trapped animatronic. Then, with equal precision, he extended his lower set of arms to lift the dummy and pull it close to him. Setting the rubble down, he drew in both sets of arms, transferring the dummy to his two main arms and extending both sets of Extendo-Arms again, adopting the spider-walk with which he had become so proficient. Walking like that, he was able to make use of multiple surfaces, digging his strong fingers into them for purchase when need be, and avoided putting too much of his considerable weight on any one spot.

"Have you got that, Shoji?" Sora Iida asked, jetting back from the Triage Zone after having dropped off an animatronic of her own.

"Fine, Iida!" he called out. "Keep going!"

Having worked in small groups the last three days, now all sixteen of them were working together in a massive cityscape, while All Might, Water Spout, and Doc Clock watched, occasionally offering instruction or correction. But it was clear they were putting what they had learned to good use. Over the course of the three previous days, one or the other of their teachers had met with each of them, offering suggestions and advice on how to improve or new ways to use their Quirks, such as Ojiro's new invisibility trick.

When it had come to his turn... they hadn't had much. His Quirk was incredibly straightforward and while he perhaps needed to work on acting more decisively, cautious action would also serve him well in Rescue Work. There was always more to learn, of course, but he wasn't sure whether to be pleased or disappointed that they hadn't had more to offer him.

As he headed to the Triage Zone, Daisuke could see the others in action.

Izumi Todoroki doused flames with her ice, letting Kenta Sato access a trapped animatronic, freeing it by taking great bites out of the rubble. Sato checked the dummy's vitals before handing it off to Tesei Iida to fly it back to the Triage Zone. Takuma Sero, Mika Mineta, and Akaya Koda worked together, using Sero's tape, Mineta's sticky balls, and Koda's fast grown vines to keep the remaining entrance to a collapsed building from collapsing further. Glowing brightly, Takiyo Aoyama went inside, returning quickly with an animatronic that he passed to Toshi Midoriya, who cleared the distance from there to the Triage Zone in one gravity-jump.

Meanwhile, Shota Shinso unleashed his sonar on another downed structure, shouting directions to Chihirio Kaminari. Her Extension Cords aglow with the crackle of electricity, Kaminari searched inside, before shouting for help. Asuka Tokoyami sent Frog-Shadow in after her, each returning with an animatronic. Mounting Frog-Shadow, Tokoyami took the one, while Kaminari handed hers off to Sora Iida for transport.

Katsumi Kirishima-Bakugo's explosive touch wasn't as useful here as it was in battle, but she exploded a small piece of rubble just precisely enough to snuff out flames, as Doc Clock had suggested to her yesterday. She lifted the trapped animatronic and climbed on a shaking Haimawari's back. Haimawari had mobility and speed, but lacked the ability to transport passengers who could not hang on for themselves, necessitating a rider. Neither was probably happy about it, but it was good to see them put their differences aside.

Most of them, they had known each other all their lives. And certainly, there were various cliques within them, but they understood well the value of teamwork and coming together. Even Haimawari was fitting in like he had been a part of them all along. Together, they could accomplish anything. It took considerable time and effort but, still within the time limit their teachers had given them, they had cleared the city.

They assembled in front of their teachers, quietly waiting for them to speak.

Well, some of them were quiet. Daisuke saw Mineta give Haimawari an elbow in the side. "So," she said to him, "I saw you letting Kirishima-Bakugo _ride you_. You two exclusive or…?"

Haimawari turned a distressing shade of pale and let out a squeak.

"Don't think I won't blow those horns off your head, Horse Girl!" Kirishima-Bakugo shouted.

"Oh, c'mon," Midoriya said, his voice full of exhaustion. "Can't one of you give it a rest, just for once?"

"She started it!"

"I was just asking an innocent question!"

"Good job, everyone!" Water Spout said, shutting the conversation down and pulling off his helmet so they could see his face. "You all did…"

"YES, EXCELLENT WORK, YOUNG HEROES!" All Might boomed, interrupting him with his voice and clapping that sounded more like great claps of thunder. The man may have been one of the greatest Heroes of all time… but did he have to be so _loud?_ "Young Grandso… All of you! You are all showing the true spirit of heroism! Already, I have seen great improvements over where you were just earlier this week!"

The former Number One Hero went on. "You'll all receive your evaluations next week, after we have had a chance to collectively review your performances and discuss them with Aizawa. And, of course, you still have tomorrow's challenges ahead of you…"

"And, of course," Doc Clock said, "Rescue Work will rarely been this simple of straightforward. Oftentimes, the disaster will be on-going, or worse, occurring during the middle of a Villain attack."

Suddenly, a high-pitched laughter split the air, drowning out all other sounds. "UWE-HE-HE-HE-HE-HE-HE! Did someone say "Villain attack'?"

In an instant, everything went dark, save for a faint glow provided by Aoyama.

There was a high-pitched scream. It sounded like one of the girls, probably Mineta. Though his outward appearance was calm, Daisuke could feel his heart pounding like a jackhammer in his chest, threatening to wear its way out. He was confident of his strength and skills… but if this was a real battle, real Villains…

"SAVE ME, KIRISHIMA-BAKUGO!"

"If you don't let go of me by the count of zero, Horse Girl…!"

Now? Of all times? Mineta truly was insatiable.

"Aoyama! Kaminari!" Toshi's voice cut through the arguing. "We need lights!"

"_Oui._"

"Got it!"

In a moment, Aoyama had increased his glow, while Kaminari directed electricity into the tips of her Extension Cords. Aoayama's pale blue glow and the crackle of electricity cast everything into deep shadows, but produced enough light for them to see.

Not that there was much to see. The simulated disaster had been turned off, leaving the cityscape bare. And there were no signs of any Villains, if indeed, that's what this was. And worse… there was no sign of any of their teachers.

"Can anybody see anything?" Midoriya asked.

Slowly, cautiously, they moved into something of a defensive position. It wasn't discussed, it wasn't planned, it was simply the long result of having known each other and each other's Quirks for years. They fell into a semi-circular position, with Midoriya, Kirishima-Bakugo, Tokoyami, Ojiro, Sato, and Daisuke on the outside, as they were the more physical fighters. Mid-range fighters like Mineta, Sero, Koda, and Kaminari next; long rangers Todoroki, Shinso, and Aoyama next, and mobility specialists the Iida Twins and Haimawari at the back.

This was unthinkable. There hadn't been an attack on U.A. in well over fifteen years. Security was incredibly tight, the buildings well protected. It was unthinkable that the children of the legendary Class 1-A would be attacked at the USJ just as they had been. And yet what else was there…

Daisuke strained his eyes against the dark corners of the USJ, tried to block out the sounds of the others like Mineta's panicked whimpering, the crackle of Kaminari's electricity, and the soft mechanical sounds that accompanied the Iida Twins. His senses may not have been super-human, but if you knew what to look for…

But he could find nothing. And that was far more worrisome than if they had been surrounded.

"Shota?" Midoriya asked.

"On it," Shinso said. He let out an ultra-high pitched noise for a moment that made Daisuke's ears hurt.

"Someone's up in the rafters," Shinso reported after a moment.

"We should run," Daisuke said. "Get help. We shouldn't be fighting." That was the smartest choice. They could fight if they had to, but even as second or greater generation Heroes… thy were still only Heroes in training.

"We might not have a choice," Midoriya said.

"UWE-HE-HE-HE-HE-HE-HE!" the same laughter from before split the air, and this time, they were able to track it. Aoyama turned a bright, spotlight-like beam on the source. There, sitting on one of the rafters, legs dangling in the open air, was a tall man in what looked like Victorian evening wear, his face hidden by a theatrical mask, the features molded on it in the form of a laughing face, and a wide-brimmed hat.

"All you little would-be Heroes," the figure said. "But you know nothing of the trials you shall face! At least… not until the Laughing Man and his friend arrived to show you your fate!"

"Friends…?" Mineta asked. "You mean there's more of them?! We're all gonna die!"

And then all hell broke loose. The first was that the Laughing Man pushed himself off from his seat in the rafters and started falling towards them. The Iida Twins and Midoriya, using their Quirks, launched up to meet him and about halfway there suddenly slammed into an invisible wall that seemingly appeared when the Laughing Man threw out a hand. Midoriya was knocked senseless, but the Iida Twins recovered and Sora Iida caught him before he could fall.

The way the Laughing Man was falling was… strange. As though he was falling far too slowly, like the air itself was slowing him down. An air manipulation Quirk, maybe? Daisuke tensed, readying for a fight, when he felt the air pressure behind them change…

He spun, just in time to see a female figure, dressed all in black, pop up out of the ground, disturbing the dirt and concrete not at all, but passing through it as though it wasn't there. "Haimawari!" he called out, but it was too late. The figure spun and drove a kick into Haimawari's chest, knocking him to the ground.

Daisuke extended both of his top arms as fast as he could, aiming for the woman. But she stood her ground and when his fists slammed into her, it felt like he was hitting a brick wall. "Argh!" he cried out, reeling his arms back in. "What are you _made_ of?!"

"You'll find out soon enough!" she laughed, vanishing into the ground again, sinking into it like a stone.

Daisuke looked around, trying to determine where she might appear again. Some of the others were having no luck against the Laughing Man either. He'd done… something, turned the ground beneath their feet into liquid and then back into a solid, trapping Sato and Ojiro out of arm's reach. Izumi's ice hit home, trapping his feet for a moment, but he passed a hand over the ice block she had created, and it turned right back to water, splashing harmlessly on the ground.

He tipped his hat to her. "Well played, my dear, but not well played enough." Mineta's sticky balls filled the air, flying at him, but he held up a hand and they were stopped by another invisible wall. Sero fired off his tape to ensnare him, but instead the Laughing Man grabbed the strand and it turned into a goo, sticky, but not solid enough to trap him.

And then the woman was back, popping up out of the ground. She quickly grabbed Mineta and gave her a judo toss, throwing her into Koda and Kaminari. Kaminari's Cords went wild, shocking both of them.

Daisuke shot out his lower arms, trying to ensnare her again and this time he made contact, wrapping his arms around her waist and pinning her arms. "Got you," he said, letting himself feel just a little bit pleased.

It was premature. Using the same trick she'd used to vanish into the ground, she passed through his arms as though they weren't even there.

Kirishima-Bakugo tried to land a blow on the Laughing Man, but he kept just out of his reach, dodging her blows easily. She must have been trying to grab his clothing so she could unleash her explosive power on it, but he wasn't letting her. "Not bad, my dear," he said, "but not good enough." He pointed and something invisible but solid slammed into her, knocking her over.

The woman was still fighting too, blows passing through her harmlessly, even Aoyama's lasers and Todoroki's flames. She'd get close enough to strike, hit like a truck, then back away again. Her strikes were far harder than they should have been. She was moving too quickly for him to get a bead on her without getting closer.

The Iida twins dive bombed the Laughing Man and though he avoided their attack, what he couldn't avoid was Tokoyami and Frog Shadow. He saw Frog-Shadow coming and tried to throw up another of those invisible walls, but Frog-Shadow was only as solid as she wanted to be, being made of light, and she passed _through_ the invisible wall, slamming into the Laughing Man and pinning him to the ground.

Just the woman then. Daisuke got ready to try his Extendo-Arms again when a high-pitched shriek made her fall to her knees, clutching her head. It was Shinso and whatever sound he was making was affecting her sense of balance something terrible. His too, the longer he listened to it.

Just what _was_ that boy capable of?

Fortunately, Shinso could only hold the sound for a few moments. Slowly, those who had been knocked down were getting to their feet. Midoriya was conscious again, leaning heavily against Sora Iida for support. "Did we… did we get them?" Midoriya asked.

"We did," Daisuke told him. "Or rather Tokoyami and Shinso did. Most of us didn't do so well."

"Who the hell are these freaks?" Kirishima-Bakugo asked.

"Friends," a voice said. Daisuke and the others turned and saw the ground of the Triage Zone opening and a platform rising up with Water Spout, Doc Clock, and All Might standing on it. "We got a few friends to agree to this little surprise to help test you," Water Spout went on. "The Laughing Man, of course, introduced himself already. If you'd let him up, Tokoyami?"

"Of course," Tokokyami said, recalling Frog Shadow.

The Laughing Man got to his feet. "Most impressive," he said, taking a deep bow. With one hand, he removed his mask. He was a young man, maybe twenty-one or twenty-two at most, with reddish hair and a thin red mustache. "Noritaka Tobita, at your service."

"Tobita…?" Midoriya said. He snapped his fingers. "Like Gentle Criminal!"

"Or Gentle Guardian!" Shinso added. "After he reformed, he became the first person to flunk a Hero School entrance exam but pass a special examination for a Hero License!"

"Correct," Tobita said. "My parents are the Gentle Guardian and La Brava. Though even with my flair for the performance, I do tend to shy a bit further away from the public eye. So you can be forgiven for not having heard of me. But your teachers thought my Quirk to change the state of matter, combined with my own skills and my partner's Quirk to alter her density, would prove a challenge for you. It would seem they were correct. "

"Ugh…" the woman who had been with him got to her feet. "That was so cool! You guys did so awesome!" She peeled back her mask to reveal a pretty face and blonde hair.

"Nejire?" Midoriya gasped.

Daisuke recognized her now. The Togata girl, the middle child of Mirio Togata and Melissa Shield. If they hadn't been taken so by surprise, he might have recognized her Quirk earlier. Midoriya no doubt would have if he hadn't been one of the first ones knocked down. She was a couple years older than them, but the Togata family was good with friends with all of their parents.

"That's me!" Nejire Togata said. "Can't believe you guys didn't' figure it out!"

Tobita laughed. "The Blonde Phantom here is my intern. Quite the good one too."

"Still need to figure out a costume, though," Togata said. "All black does _not_ work for me."

"What the hell was the point of all that?" Kirishima-Bakugo demanded. "You get your kicks dropping them on us out of the blue and having them wail on us? Here? After what happened to our parents?"

She actually sounded a bit shaken. He wouldn't have thought her capable of the emotion, but he heard the slightest tremor in her voice. Truth be told, Daisuke wasn't sure he saw much value in such a surprise attack either, though he might have phrased it better.

"Eri told you guys," Water Spout said, "Villain attacks can spring up out of the blue, even during rescues. You've got to be ready for anything."

"You're lucky," Doc Clock said. "I actually gave you a little warning. Dad wouldn't even have done that. We know you all have a familial connection… but it's still our job to push you just as hard as we can."

"While I am not fond of the deception," All Might added, "the challenge was necessary. Villains rarely announce themselves and you must be ready for action at a moment's notice, regardless of whatever raging cauldron of emotions swirls within you."

"Sixteen against two," Daisuke said. "And we really didn't do all that well. We got lucky."

"Sixteen first year students against a Pro and a third year," Water Spout corrected him. "You'll get better. That's why we're here."

Then he would just have to be better.

Daisuke tended to go to bed early, but he was more than a little wired. They all were, really, if the sounds from most of the rooms were any indication. Doc Clock had patched them up before sending them back to the dorms, her Quirk rewinding them all back to before they'd gotten into the fight with Togata and the Laughing Man. Suddenly not being beaten up had a way of refreshing you.

He found himself back in the kitchen and was surprised to find Tokyami there. "Couldn't sleep either?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Still too wired after today. I knew… I knew things couldn't possibly have been repeating themselves, not like what happened to our parents, but it felt so intense…"

He pulled her into a hug. He'd be the first to admit he was not especially demonstrative, but he knew what was needed her. "I know," he said. "I was scared too. But it was just another test. Something we're probably going to have to get used to, whether we like it or not."

He let go after a moment. "You're right," Tokoyami said. "Thank you."

She glanced at the kettle on the stove. "Perhaps some tea?"

Daisuke nodded. "I'd like that, thank you."

As she moved to start the tea, Frog-Shadow appeared in a flash of light. "Wowwweee! Did you feel how muscular he is?! You should hug him again!"

Tokoyami tried to swat Frog-Shadow, but the familiar dodged out of the way. "Bad enough you keep bragging about how you saved the day! Now this?"

In spite of himself, or perhaps simply as a final release of all the day's tension, Daisuke found himself laughing at his poor friend's plight.

"Oh, not you too, Shoji," Tokoyami wailed.

"I… I am sorry," he said, quickly.

She gave a little chirping laugh of her own. "I suppose we deserve it sometimes. But really, you should laugh more often. I'd forgotten how pleasant it is."

"I'll do my best."

And life went on, it was as simple as that.


	24. Chapt22: Mika Mineta Horns In

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter Twenty-Two: Mika Mineta Horns In**

_She watched as Daisuke Shoji pulled himself out of the pool, wearing only tight trunks that left very little to the imagination (and she had a very active imagination, thank you). His powerful arms showing off his muscles as he flexed and hauled himself up, his still wet abs practically sparkling in the bright sunshine. He twisted his head back and forth, drops of water flying from his silver hair. In spite of his powerful body, his facial features with soft and handsome, with lips that looked delicate and oh-so kissable._

_Mika let out a soft gasp and heard her binoculars clatter to the ground, the noise breaking the silence._

_Shoji's eyes fell on her, her hiding spot not particularly secret. "You know," he said, his voice smooth and soft, "you don't have to hide, Mika. I know you're watching me."_

"_I…" she began, suddenly at a loss for words._

_His top pair of Extendo-Arms reached out and grabbed her, his powerful fingers surprisingly soft and gentle, bringing her close to him. One of his normal hands cupped her chin, bringing her head up to look into his eyes. She was tall, but he was even taller. "I've been watching you too."_

_Was this happening? This was happening. He leaned down to kiss her and…_

"MIKA!"

Her eyes snapped open, staring into the grinning face of Red Riot. Slowly, she released the unlicensed body pillow. "'zat you yelling, Red…?"

"MIKA!"

It took her a moment to realize that it was coming from outside her dorm room door. "What!?"

Chihiro's voice came from the other side of the door. "Class is in thirty minutes! You overslept again!"

Well, crap. Reluctantly, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and planted her hooves on the floor. "Shoulda just let me sleep, Chi! I was about to score!"

"I hardly think that counts, Mineta," came the voice of Akaya Koda from the other side. "And it certainly is not more important than your education. Save your sinful thoughts for later."

"Oh, gimme a break, Akaya," she said. Akaya was actually one of her good friends (a fact which surprised just about everyone who knew them), but she could be more than a little sanctimonious at times. Mika supposed she got it from her mother. "All my best thoughts are sinful thoughts and you know it."

"Not even awake five minutes, and you're already an abomination," Akaya replied, though there was some amusement in her voice.

"I got mad skills, Akaya, you know that."

Speaking of sinful thoughts, as she got dressed (ugh, she really needed to go bra shopping again, she had just about outgrown these ones, to say nothing of the stress she was putting on her sports' bras…), she eyed the list of classmates and schoolmates she kept on her desk. She'd actually struck through quite a few already.

_Toshi Midoriya: __Taken_

_Katsumi Kirishima-Bakugo: __Scary beyond all reason_

_Izumi Todoroki: __Kirishima-Bakugo would kill me. Has displayed zero interest in anyone so far._

_Sora Iida__: Incompatible orientation and taken_

_Tensei Iida: __Incompatible orientation and taken._

_Takuma Sero: __Incompatible orientation and taken_

_Kimiko Ojiro: Incompatible orientation? Further evidence needed. What if she's not actually hot? Remember to consult for gossip on rest of list._

_Kenta Sato: Do I want those teeth near my lady bits?/very cute/easy access to baked goods_

_Akaya Koda: __Incompatible orientation/best friend_

_Chihiro Kaminari:__ Incompatible orientation/best friend_

_Takiyo Aoyama: Jerk/doesn't like me/very pretty._

_Asuka Tokoyami__: Incompatible orientation/would try to rein me in/is this technically a threesome?_

_Shota Shinso: __Try again when he's a year older_

_Daisuke Shoji: If the gods are merciful_

_Isamu Haimawari: Very cute/pretty sure he's scared of me/maybe he's into that?_

_David Togata: Think of what he could do with those fingers/unsure of orientation_

_Shiro Monoma: Tweenage boyfriend/can be a jerk/prettier than me/still a maybe_

_Kana Tetsutetsu__: Incompatible orientation/good friend_

The list actually went on for quite a bit more, but those first few were the ones in her more immediate circle. It had been a damn shame to have crossed Midoriya off the list, because the boy was buff as hell, and even more of a shame to cross both of the Iidas off, because Tensei was also buff as hell and she really, really wanted to take a nap in Sora's cleavage. But that was life, and there were rules to this kind of thing. And sure, she might try to sneak a peek here and there (really, outside of the locker room thing, she hadn't done anything like that in a while and that had been too good a chance to pass up), but she also did know where she wasn't wanted.

Didn't mean she couldn't appreciate the eye candy, though. And there was _so much_ of it at U.A. No wonder Dad had called this the best years of his life!

She heard Chihiro pounding on the door again, as she ran a comb through her purple hair, being mindful of her horns. "Mika! C'mon! We're gonna be late!

"Okay, okay! Keep your shirt on! Or not! Best friends or not, eye candy is eye candy!"

Despite the fact that they were all friends to some extent or the other, there were definitely cliques within Class 1-A and also within the relationships they had with Classes 1-B and 1-C. Take lunch, for example. There was the usual group with Toshi Midoriya, Izumi Todoroki, Asuka Tokoyami, Shota Shinso, and now Isamu Haimawari. And there was the typical trio of Kenta Sato, Takuma Sero, and Kimiko Ojiro, who were even now filming another round of Ojiro's internet gossip show (she made a mental note to double-check with Ojiro on the gossip mill on some of her lists).

When she wasn't eating alone, Katsumi Kirishima-Bakugo could usually be found eating with Kana Tetsutetsu of Class 1-B (how she and Kirishima-Bakugo could be friends with the same person, she had no idea). The Iida Twins usually ate together, though they also sometimes ate with some of the Support Class kids like David Togata, and had also started branching out to eating with their respective boyfriends and their boyfriends' friends as well (Sora got along better with Midoriya's group. Tensei seemed rather baffled by the antics of Takuma and his friends). Shoji could usually be found eating with some of his friends from the Gen Ed classes (children of his mother's friends, as she understood it). Aoyama typically seemed to disappear at lunch and she wasn't inclined to look for him.

You learned a lot when you were checking everybody out.

Mika's own clique was primarily made of herself, Chihiro and Akaya. Of course, they were sometimes joined by…

"I've heard Class 1-B's scores at the USJ are waaaay higher than Class 1-A's," Shiro Monoma said, as he sat down at their table, his grin an irritatingly smug one. "That's just sooooo sad for you." He gave his blond hair a flip.

Mika rolled her eyes. "Shiro, don't make me put my hoof up your ass."

"I am fairly certain it does not work that way, Shiro," Akaya said. "Must everything be a competition with you? It does not suit you at all."

"Suits him pretty well if you ask me," Chihiro muttered.

Shiro laughed, a haughty sound that reminded Mika why they'd only dated for a few months when they were both thirteen. Well, there were lots of reasons, but she definitely couldn't picture hearing that on a regular basis, even if he'd been her first kiss. And that had been before puberty had finished hitting her like a ton of bricks, so she knew he hadn't even been trying to get to second base. But that was all water under the bridge. "I do know we've gotten exemplary marks, Akaya. And considering some of what your class has to work with, I wouldn't be surprised if you came in behind us."

Chihiro glared at him, her Extension Cords pointing angrily and sparking at their tips. "You're aching for a tasing, pal. We had a Pop Quiz in English today and way too much math homework to be legal and I am in no mood for you. I. Will. Tase. You."

To his credit, Shiro didn't flinch from her threat. His own Quirk was actually impressive under the right circumstances—called Imitation, he could reproduce any physical act he had witnessed and was physically capable of performing—but probably wouldn't save him if Chihiro just decided to outright tase him. "And prove that Class 1-A can't control their temper?" he taunted.

Chihiro's left Cord struck out like a shot, causing Shiro to let out a terrified gasp. Chihiro's Cord gently brushed his cheek and extruding just enough electricity to make his hair stand on end. "It'd be worth it," she said, before retracting her Cord.

Shiro let out a harrumph and flipped a comb out of his sleeve, trying to get his hair back in order. If he was still anything like he'd been back in the day, Mika was willing to bet his hair care regimen was still twice as long as hers, if not longer.

Akaya buried her craggy face in a massive hand. "Is it too much to ask that you two get along for one meal?"

"He started it," Chihiro said, crossing her arms.

Mika just gripped her horns and banged her head on the table. "As hot as it would probably be to see the two of you fight, I've got to agree with Akaya here. Which is probably a first somebody should write down somewhere."

Then again, she and Akaya had always ended up in the crossfire of the rivalries between the former Classes A and B. Granted, only Shiro's dad was really interested in making it a rivalry anymore, something he'd passed on to his son. Everyone else had settled in for friendly competition at worst and true friendships at best. But as the only kids with a parent in each Class, it could still get a little awkward sometimes.

"Of course, I can be the bigger person and cease these barbs," Shiro said, making it clear that that was, in and of itself, a barb. "Especially for you, Mika." He made a kissy-face.

"See? You're more than just a pretty face, Shiro."

And boy, was he pretty. She generally preferred… oh, who was she kidding, her type was "breathing." But either way, she did like buff guys and her class had SO MANY of those. But Shiro was a more wiry build, while still being strong. And so pretty. She could just get lost in those eyes…

She became aware of Chihiro snapping her fingers in her face. "You went away there, Mika."

"I was in my happy place, Chi."

Chihiro made an exaggerated look of disgust. "In public, Mika? For shaaame."

Akaya looked up from her hand. "I am saying extra prayers for all of you."

Mika gave her a flat look. Akaya was about as different from her as was possible to be, both in appearance and personality. But behind those somewhat fearsome rocky features was a truly gentle soul who would go out of her way to harm no one. Akaya was a girl of strong morals and convictions. Mika was… not much of that, really. Oh, certainly, she wasn't some criminal or pervert (well, not a criminal for sure), but she definitely had a lust for life. And she might possibly be a degenerate reprobate. But outside of Chihiro, Akaya was probably her best friend. Class A-B girls had to stick together, after all. Didn't mean she wasn't kind of a stick in the mud, though.

"You know you love us, Akaya."

A smile came from the massive, moss-haired girl. "I do at that."

"Even Shiro?" Chihiro asked.

"Even Shiro," Akaya said.

"You all do know I'm sitting right here, don't you?"

The final day at the USJ had actually managed to pass without incident. Or at least, without any fake Villain attacks. Mika hadn't exactly acquitted herself well during that, though she'd managed to hug Kirishima-Bakugo, so she was still counting that as a win. And sure, all three of their teachers had talked to her about being more responsible, taking things more seriously, and keeping her mind of the job in front of her instead of her classmates, but she was certain she could do both. They were either married or old or married and old! What did they know about the lusty youth of today? How was she supposed to concentrate when everyone around her was so ridiculously good looking and dressed in very tight clothing?

So it definitely wasn't her fault.

Last weekend, she'd spent any time not doing homework (Maybe she should have spent a little more time on that. She hadn't done particularly well on her last Literature paper) with Chihiro hanging around the campus and checking out the students in the various other Classes. It had added several reams to her notes of people worth trying to seduce or hit on, though she admitted she didn't know a lot of names yet. So many of them were written down as things like "Really Hot Tall Guy from 1-C" or "Business and Management Girl with Blue Hair and Big Boobs." She'd figure out names if it became important.

This weekend, however, she was going home. With her mom's birthday on Monday, the weekend was the best time for her to celebrate it with them. So she'd quickly packed up a few things (yeah, probably should have done that ahead of time too) after class and took the train to Eisley City, outside of Tokyo, where her family lived. It was a nice day, so she walked from the station.

When she got to their apartment building, there was construction going on not far up the street. They were all big guys, but one of them was even bigger than the others, with arms that were wider than she was. He must have had some kind of strength enhancing Quirk. You saw that a lot in construction work these days.

"Hey!" she shouted, getting their attention for a moment, before they went back to ignoring her "Are you guys working _hard_? Hey! Hey! Pay attention to me! Attractive woman worth catcalling over here!"

One of them, a guy with a large, single eye, fixed her with a stare. "How old are you, kid?"

"_Kid_?!" she repeated. "I'll have you know, I'm…"

"A high school student," another of them, with bright green hair, said.

"What makes you think that?" she shot back.

"You're wearing a U.A. uniform," the eye-guy said.

"It could be for fetish reasons!"

"Don't you have somewhere to be, kid?" a third, a big furry guy with a tiger-head, said tiredly.

This was obviously going nowhere. And what fun was that? And how had she run into the world's only civilized construction workers?

"Fiiiiiine," she whined. "Be that way! Have fun being civilized!"

What was the world coming to when a hot thing like her couldn't get catcalled?

When she got to her apartment, Mika could hear the sounds of the television coming from within. Which was odd. Her parents should still be at work. It was possible one of them might have taken off early, but not especially likely either. They were both dedicated to their jobs as Pro Heroes.

Hesitantly, she opened the door. "If you're robbing us, just know to stay out from under my bed, okay? Nobody wants to be looking under there…"

She peered into the living room to see someone sitting on the couch. Whoever they were, they had grey hair, big pointed ears that stuck out to the sides, and horns that were thicker and more curved than her own. They also appeared to have the English subtitles turned on on whatever it was they were watching. From his basket by the door, the family dachshund, Hot Dog, looked up sleepily, saw that it was Mika, and then went back to his doggy dreams.

A smile spread its way across her face as she recognized the "intruder". "Granny!" she exclaimed, slipping easily into English. Her granny could speak Japanese just fine (her accent was kind of hilarious though), but since English was her first language and Mika could speak it quite well (just don't ask her to take any tests on it), she deferred to it when possible for her granny's sake.

Rebecca-Lynn Tsunotori, formerly the American Pro-Hero called Cow Lady, turned and rose from the couch and her face spread into an equally big grin. "Well, look at you!" Granny said. "Your mama sent me pictures of you in your school uniform, but now I get to see it in person! You look so grown up!" She crossed the room quickly, sweeping Mika up in a big hug that threatened to crush her ribs. In spite of her age, her granny was still quite strong.

"Granny! Can't… breathe…!"

Granny laughed and set her down. "Sorry, Darling. You know me, I don't get to see you often, so I get pretty excited…"

"It's all right," Mika assured her. "I didn't know you were coming! Are you here for Mom's birthday?"

"'course I am," Granny replied. "Couldn't let my only little girl go celebratin' her birthday with her mama halfway around the world!"

"You ever think of just moving to Japan, Granny?" Mika asked. She knew Granny had been alone since Grandpa Tsunotori had died a few years ago. She said she kept herself busy, and she did do a bit of writing, some speaking, and made a few Hero-Convention circuits, and, of course, she had her friends, but still, she knew Mom worried about her. "You could stay with us!"

That got a laugh out of Granny. "Aw, shucks. It'd be nice, but I'm too much an American girl to ever relocate." She gave Mika a wink. "Besides, your daddy and I would kill each other inside a week."

That was probably true. According to Mom, Daddy and Granny had never gotten along especially well. Both Granny and Grandpa Tsunotori had pretty badly objected to her parents dating in the first place, given the reputation Daddy had already amassed. But he had grown significantly as a person over the years (which he attributed completely to Mom's help) and these days he and Granny mostly settled for trading verbal barbs.

"Oh, Granny," she said.

Granny fixed her with a stare. "Now, I think I heard you saying something about what's under your bed…"

Eeep. She'd forgotten she'd said that. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she said. "That was Japanese. You must have misheard me."

"My Japanese ain't that bad, kid," Granny said, crossing her arms. "But fine, if you don't wanna talk about that, how's school going?"

Double eep!

"Oh… it's, ah…."

Fortunately, she was saved by the door. It opened and both of her parents walked in. "Mika! Mom!" her mother exclaimed, rushing over to pull them both into a hug. Her father followed close behind, though he only had a hug for her.

"How's my little girl?" Daddy asked. "Are you keeping away from all those perverted boys at school?"

"Oh, Daddy," she said, rolling her eyes. "I've been taller than you since I was twelve. You know I'm not so little anymore." Mika had seen pictures of her dad in High School, and while he was about a foot taller now, that still made him the shortest one in the family by a long shot. She also was definitely not responding to the question about boys. As if she'd limit herself to only a portion of the population anyway.

She knew he was just overcompensating for his own behavior during his High School years, but she was hardly some doll in need of protection from the opposite sex. She was more than capable of seeking them out on her own. Not that that really seemed to work. Which made no sense, because she was, frankly, gorgeous and would be an amazing catch.

But that was all beside the point.

"Doesn't matter," Daddy said. "You're always gonna be my little girl. No matter what. Or no matter who I have to protect you from."

Daddy thought he was scary, but he really wasn't. She still very clearly remembered him trying to intimidate Shiro when he'd shown up to pick her up for their first date and how badly he'd failed at it. Mom had been trying so hard not to laugh. She'd managed to keep it together until they'd left, but had later confessed she'd lost it the second they'd been out the door.

"Hello, Minoru," Granny said, shifting to Japanese. Daddy actually spoke good English—Mom was a good teacher for that—but she wasn't going to give him the upper hand in a conversation. "Still short, I see."

"Hello, Rebecca," Daddy replied, evenly. "Still going grey, I see."

"Oh, you two," Mom said, clearly missing the hostility floating in the air. "It's so great to have everyone together! And don't listen to Minny, you look great, Mom."

"Women in our family have always aged gracefully, Pony," Granny said. "But I hear congratulations are in order for you? Number Seven Hero in Japan?"

Her mom nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! I jumped eight places in one go! There's been a lot of attention. It's really been kind of embarrassing."

Daddy just smiled that same smile he always had when thinking about or talking about Mom. It was actually really sweet. "We're all proud of her." Daddy wasn't particularly high ranked, not even in the top one hundred, but he was oddly popular with children and he was happy with that.

"Shinso would _not_ shut up about it," Mika added. "He let me know and just kept babbling on. I think he knows more about your Hero-Stats than _I_ do." Shinso talked so much, she often wondered how he remembered to breathe. Maybe it was a side effect of his Quirk. But if he didn't need to breathe as much, she could definitely think of better uses for that than just talking. Not that she thought that of him, given that he was still just fourteen. She had _some_ standards after all.

"Minny and I just need to get changed and freshened up," Mom said, "and then we can all go out and have a nice dinner! I promise we won't be long."

Daddy gave her a grin and a playful swat on the rear. "It'd be faster if we showered together," he said, which earned him a glower that he missed from Granny and a laugh from Mom. Mika just rolled her eyes. It was a good line, but nobody wanted to hear their dad say that.

"Oh, Minny," Mom said, still giggling. "You are incorrigible!" Which Mika had long ago learned was code for "I like this idea, but you shouldn't say it in from of other people."

Family. Whatcha gonna do?

Dinner—the place was slightly fancy, but not spectacularly so, which was nice because it meant she only had to get a little dressed up—was actually going reasonably well. Daddy and Granny had managed to only trade a handful of barbs, most of which hadn't been too venomous. He may have married her daughter, but he did have a solid record as a Pro-Hero, which she couldn't harp on.

"So," Daddy said, telling the story of how he and Uncle Denki had been fighting bank robbers with electric Quirks of their own earlier that day, "I said to Denki, "I dunno why they've gotta steal money… if they wanna buy stuff, they should just _charge it_!'"

That got a groan from Mika, but Mom broke into a braying laugh. Even Granny managed to crack a small smile.

"Too bad he didn't get it," Daddy said. "He just looked at me and said, "They've got to buy electronics before they can charge them up, dude.'" Daddy just shook his head. "I swear, sometimes, I think he really did fry his brain back in school."

Uncle Denki was _famously_ dense. There was one late night talk show that even had a regular segment dedicated to dumb things he had said. But if Chihiro ever asked, she would completely deny watching any of it.

"So, honey," Mom said, changing subjects, "how's school going?"

"It's, ah, it could be… it's all right?" she tried. "Having some trouble with some of my classes, but Akaya's been helping me."

"Oh, good," Mom replied, though her tone indicated this was a subject that they would be revisiting later. "And how is Akaya? I haven't seen her or Ibara in forever."

"She's good, Mom. Pretty much the same as always. Not much rocks her." That got a snicker from everybody. Puns were always good for defusing tension. And questioning her academics was definitely tension.

"What are you having trouble with, sweetie?" Daddy asked. "I always did well in school. If you're having trouble, I'm sure I can help."

"I cain't see how you had the time to do well, given all your other activities," Granny said. "Just one of the mysteries of the universe, I reckon."

To his credit, Daddy bristled (she could see the balls on his head twitch) but didn't respond to that. "Your grandmother does have a point, as much as it pains me to admit it. If there's some boy or someone trying to play kissy-face and distracting you…"

"_Relax, _Daddy," Mika said. "It's not that. Trust me." Which was technically true. "Just… need to double down on some of my papers and studying. Chihiro's having trouble too, so hopefully Akaya can lift us both up a little."

"_Are_ there any boys you like?" Mom asked, apparently satisfied with the explanation for the moment. "Or girls?" She'd never been anything less than honest about her interests, though Daddy only ever seemed worried about boys. He probably just had a blindspot when it came to her growing up.

She made vague hand gestures. "Eh, maybe. There's a few cute guys and some cute girls, but everybody's still really settling in. Though the Twins are dating now-Tensei's dating Sero and Sora's dating Midoriya—so there's hope for me yet."

Mom smiled and shook her head. "I wouldn't worry about it too much," she said. "I didn't start dating your father until nearly the end of our first year. Give it time."

Daddy actually looked a little embarrassed. "Actually my first date ever was with your mother. It was the longest conversation I'd ever had with a girl without getting smacked and I kind of panicked and asked her out."

Mom leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. "It all worked out though," she said. That got a soft harrumph from Granny, though neither of her parents noticed.

Still… there was something to be said for how it had all worked out for her parents. She could tell they were clearly still very much in love, despite having been married nearly twenty years. They were lucky. Daddy's mom had been married four times already and was probably on the prowl for husband number five. If she was honest with herself, that kind of love was something she very much wanted… She just wanted to have some fun before that happened. Was that so wrong? Why did the universe keep conspiring against her in that regard?

Maybe she really ought to clean up her act a little bit after all… On the other hand, that bus boy over there was awful cute…

Decisions, decisions!

Mom snapped her back to reality. "Is everything still… safe, at school?" she asked. "We're still seeing the Quirk Virus pop up, but no one's had any major leads in the Hero community."

Granny frowned. "I've seen plenty about it on the news in America too. It's been mostly isolated cases, but it's there."

Mika shrugged. "Nobody in my class has come down with it," she said. "I mean, it's not something I'm real worried about… other than what happens if someone I care about does." Which at least wasn't a problem for her family in particular. All of their Quirks were Mutant-types. But the thought that someone could just lose control like that was a scary one all the same.

"They're doing the best they can," she added. "If there was anything big, they'd let us know."

The adults seemed satisfied with that. Cases really were pretty isolated still, but the worry was there. The only thing they could do would be to try and live as normally as possible.

Later, when a celebratory cake had been brought out and Mom had blown out the candles, Mika asked, "So what did you wish for, Mom?"

Mom shook her head. "I didn't need to make one," she said, looking around the table. "I've got everything I need right here."

Granny smiled at that, happy in the moment. And Daddy raised his glass. "To our family!"

They raised theirs in return. "To our family!"

Okay, maybe she didn't have a boy toy or a sidepiece or anything like that. But she had one of the best families in two countries, and maybe that was enough.


	25. Chapt23: Takiyo Aoyama Tries to Shine

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter Twenty-Three: Takiyo Aoyama Tries to Shine**

_Takiyo is four years old and supposedly he's got a Quirk. His parents have had him tested and he lacks the extra toe joint and otherwise tests positive for having one. But so far, they've been unable to find out what it is or make it manifest. His father can project a thin, harmless beam of light from his index fingers, like a laser pointer. And his mother glows, ever so slightly. But no one can yet figure out what it is his does._

_And then, there's a day when he's playing with his father. Nothing fancy, just playing ball in the yard while his mother hangs laundry. He misses a catch and loses the ball in the grass, but his father sees it, lighting it up with the light beam from his fingers to show him where it is. Takiyo grabs for the ball, inadvertently putting his hand in the beam. And _that_ is when his Quirk decides to come in. Like a man dying of thirst encountering water for the first time, his Quirk starts greedily sucking up his father's light beam. Takiyo starts glowing, brighter and brighter, and he can't break away; his father is unable to turn off his beam, both of them locked together as he absorbs the light._

_Their worried cries attract his mother, who throws her arms around him and tries to pull him away. But his Quirk is a greedy one, and it starts sucking up her light too. Only now he's beginning to hurt, feeling like he's burning up inside. He desperately cries for help, for his parents to make it better, but they can't. They can't break contact, they're just as scared, if not more so, than he is._

_And even the sunshine is beginning to make him feel funny now, tingling on his exposed skin more than it ever has. He can feel his little body just drinking it up._

_It's too much for him. All of that light he's absorbed has to go somewhere. And in his case, it goes _everywhere_. It erupts from his body like a beacon, blasting up high into the sky. He'd never know it, but official reports would say that the flare could be seen for miles._

Takiyo awoke to darkness, as he always did. The accommodations of his dorm rooms were built to a very exacting standard. The glass doors of the slider to the balcony could be turned completely opaque and heavy blackout curtains slid over them to keep even the smallest vestige of light from the cracks from slipping in. The door sealed similarly, blocking out everything from the hallway. His alarm clock displayed no illuminated numbers; those could only be turned on through a manual switch.

Everything that could be done to prevent him from absorbing any light had. It would prevent him from absorbing too much overnight and hurting himself… or others.

He groped for his bedside table as he slid out of bed, finding the small remote there and pressing the single button on it once, turning on the lights. His pajamas covered much, but still left his face, hands, and feet exposed. It was really just enough light to see by. Even then, he felt the tingle across his skin as soon as the light came on. Just from that little bit of light alone, he could see the blue-white glow starting to emerge from within him.

It had been this way since his Quirk had come in. The belt and bracelets he wore helped to control it somewhat, gave him better means of directing the light he absorbed, but the fact remained that his Quirk was, by and large, very much out of his control.

It took him the better part of an hour to get ready for the day. Even with no classes, it would not do to look anything less than perfect. There were standards to uphold, after all. And it would be a crime to deprive the world of his face. One of many reasons why he didn't wear a mask to hide his features and block out the light.

As _Papa_ said, "When you shine, _mon fils_, the world must always be allowed to see."

Dark pants, a long-sleeved white shirt buttoned all the way up, matte-black boots (fashion nominally dictated they be polished and shine, but some sacrifices had to be made for his well-being) made up his outfit for the day, to which he added his bracelets and belt. As soon as he clipped them on, he could feel the intensity of the light within him subside slightly.

His room was tastefully decorated, the latest in interior decorating from France. Light colors, mirrors, the dark wood of his furniture looking quite sharp. He took a moment and drew in a breath, before pointing at the far wall. He let out a beam of light from his fingers, like a powerful halogen lamp. And he kept it up for several long seconds, feeling the light leaving his body.

It gave him an empty, hungry feeling. It always did when he was low on light. His body craved it as much as it craved food or water. The eight hours of beauty sleep he got a night were about just as long as he could safely do. But the empty feeling was immediately replaced by the feeling of sucking light in. What little illumination his ceiling light provided was better than nothing at all to his Quirk. It wasn't picky.

Steeling himself for the world outside, he opened his door.

_Takiyo wakes up in a hospital bed. Quirk Exhaustion, they'd later say. His first manifestation of his Quirk being too much for his small body to handle. It wouldn't be the last time it would happen to him._

_The lights around him are dimmed, leaving him mostly in darkness. But even then, he's starting to glow. It doesn't hurt this time. It feels good, it makes him feel… full._

_Even at his young age, he knows something is very, very wrong. More so than just being in the hospital._

_There's a curtain drawn around the bed, but he can hear someone talking to his father just outside it._

"_I know you've had a traumatic experience, Mister Akasuki," a voice says, "but I don't think you're thinking clearly. Your son is going to need you. His Quirk is potentially very dangerous…"_

_A voice, his father's, cuts the other off. "Don't you think I know that?" his father asks. "But I just… I can't. I'm not strong enough. He's my son, but all I can think about when I look at him is there's the boy who took off my hand and killed my wife…"_

_There's more arguing outside, but Takiyo can't hear it. He's crying. Is that right? Is his mom dead? Is it his fault? Did he make his dad leave him?_

_Long, terribly long, minutes pass. And then the curtain parts and a doctor enters. He has dark hair that's long enough to make Takiyo think he's skipped a haircut and eyes that are solid black. It's a little creepy, but his smile is kindly, if sad._

"_You're awake," he says. "How're you feeling?"_

"_Who… who are you?" Takiyo asks. "Where's my dad?"_

"_My name's Haru Shima," the doctor says. He doesn't answer the question about his dad. "I'm your doctor." He comes and sits in the chair near the bed, and Takiyo flinches._

_Doctor Shima sees him flinch, but he doesn't move. "It's okay," he said. "You can't hurt me." He takes a pen from the pocket of his white coat and hands it to Takiyo. "Here, throw this at me."_

_Takiyo gives the pen a little toss. He doesn't know why he does it, but it gives him something else to think about. The pen stops in mid-air before it hits the doctor and just falls as though it had hit a wall. The doctor catches it easily. "See?" he says. "Anything gets too close to me, it stops before it can hurt me. That's my Quirk."_

_That's something, at least. But it just makes him think about his parents. "What about my dad? Where's my mom?"_

_Doctor Shima frowns. "I'm sorry," he says after a long moment. "We should probably have the social worker here for this, but…"_

Takiyo entered the Common Room to find it in chaos. This wasn't actually uncommon, but it was always a toss-up as to who would be responsible. Had Mika Mineta angered Katsumi Kirishima-Bakugo? Was Asuka Tokoyami's Frog-Shadow acting up again? Was Shota Shinso going on about something he saw on the internet and had dragged Toshinori Midoriya and Isamu Haimawari into it?

No, today's nonsense came in the form of the far more usual suspects: Kimiko Ojiro, Kenta Sato, and Takuma Sero. Ojiro was not quite as terrible as her partners in crime and he did find her an enjoyable source of gossip, but collectively, the three were nothing but trouble. He blamed the Sero boy for corrupting them both. Sero was sitting across from the other two, who were sitting at one of the dining tables.

"Okay," Sero said, keeping his phone pointed at Sato and Ojiro, "tell me what about you're doing?"

Sato gave the camera a grin. "So this is a very special addition of _Will Sato Eat it?_ Kimiko here is going to give me something to eat, but she's going to use her Quirk to make it invisible. Without being able to see it or touch it, I'm going to have to guess what it is."

Ojiro elbowed him in the side. "Oh yeah," Sato added hastily. "Hastag invisi-lunch!"

Idiots, all of them. He understood the desire for fame. His _papa_ had taught him about controlling your image and putting your best face forward from the moment he had decided he was going to be a Hero. Takiyo knew all about how to stand out and shine. But he also knew you didn't do it through idiotic stunts and trying to go "viral." To say nothing of the fact that neither Sero nor Sato had enough of a sense of style or stage presence to pull it off no matter what. Ojiro, at least, did have some of that.

He just wanted to make himself some breakfast and now he had to deal with this. Very pointedly ignoring them, he made his way to the kitchen to start preparing an omelet. They seemed to be ignoring his ignoring them (how very rude!) but he still took some satisfaction from not giving them the attention that they so obviously craved.

Unfortunately, even as he worked on his food, the noise from the others was distracting. Every so often something would crunch or snap or make some other unnatural noise as Sato bit through whatever it was. Already, Takiyo could see he had bitten the head off a garden gnome, taken a bite out of a Frisbee, eaten all he glass from a light bulb, and was about to take a bite out of a something else. It also looked like Ojiro had several more items on the table for Sato to taste, only some of which he could readily identify. He let out a weary sigh.

"Is this going to be going on all morning?"

Sero stopped filming for a moment, putting his phone down and shooting him an angry look. "Dude," he said. "You ruined my shot! Don't you know we're supposed to have quiet on the set?"

Sato gave him an incredulous look. "Dude. It's not a set. It's the Common Room." Perhaps he had an ounce of sense after all.

"Aoyammmmma," Ojiro whined, crossing her arms. "Whyyyyy?"

"Because I'm tired of having to put up with the three of you acting like you're going to be the next big thing."

Sero frowned. "Dude. That's harsh."

"Sometimes," Takiyo shot back. "Harsh reality is needed."

_It's days later and his father still hasn't come back for him. The nice lady from social services had said something about "giving up parental rights" and that they were "trying to find a nice home for him."_

_They did lots of tests and they kept his room really dark. Every time there's even the least little bit of light, he can feel his body and Quirk sucking greedily at it, wanting every bit of it. It doesn't look like he can turn that off, they say. The hospital's Quirk specialist says they're trying to see if they can have any support gear made that will help him,_

_He spends most of his days crying. He hurt his dad and… _

_There's no words around it. He killed his mom. He's only four and he understands that much. The nice Doctor Shima and everyone has tried to make him understand it wasn't his fault, but he can't stop thinking about it._

_But Doctor Shima visits him every day, talks to him, makes him feel just a little less like a monster. It doesn't last, but it lasts for a moment. It's nice to have someone, at least, who isn't afraid he might hurt them._

_One time, Doctor Shima visits him with another man. And he is the prettiest man Takiyo has ever seen. Skinny, with blonde hair. He wears a thick belt that wraps around his middle and has a sparkle of his own. Takiyo instantly tries to scoot farther back on the bed, away from the man's light._

"_It's okay, Takiyo," Doctor Shima says. "Anything happens, I'm right here. Nobody's going to get hurt." He gestures to the other man. "This is my husband, Yuga Aoyama."_

"_Don't… don't get close," Takiyo cries, desperately. "I don't want to hurt you!"_

_In spite of his warnings, Doctor Shima's husband sits next to him. He sees the slight glow coming from him, the little bit of light he's absorbed from the machines in the room and the light from the hallway. He looks over to Doctor Shima for a minute, who merely nods. His gaze quickly returns to Takiyo and Takiyo realizes he has some of the kindest eyes he's ever seen. They're eyes that have seen a great deal of pain and hurt of their own._

"_I too, know what it is like to have a Quirk that scares you, _mon petit ami. _Mine has, most of my life. But my husband tells me you have been very brave. You must be very strong."_

"_I don't feel strong," Takiyo says. "I hurt my dad. I hurt… I… my mom…"_

_Doctor Shima's husband does something unexpected then, and he wraps his arms around Takiyo, completely unafraid. "It was an accident," Aoyama says. "It was not your fault. It was not your fault."_

_Doctor Shima clears his throat. "Takiyo… my husband and I have been talking it over… and how would you like to come live with us?"_

"Really?" Sero asked. "Now you're just getting pissy. Do _you_ have over a thousand followers on HeroTube?"

Takiyo put a hand to his chest. "Over two thousand on InstaGlam. Some of us are meant to shine. Some of us are not."

"So what you're really saying is you're not any different than us," Sero said, pointing an accusing finger. He moved from the table toward the kitchen.

"Guys…" Ojiro said, trying to come between them.

"This… is gonna be ugly," Sato said, looking like he was trying to find an escape.

"_Non_," Takiyo said. "I, at least, am trading upon my natural grace and beauty. You three are a sideshow attraction, trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Which is fine for you. But do not subject the rest of us to it."

"You think you're so much better than us," Sero said. "You try to hog the glory, you talk down to Mineta, you think you're such hot stuff, always trying to show off. Well, you're not any different than any of us. You… you're…"

"You're on fire," Sato said.

"Of course I am," Takiyo said. "When you're this good, you're…"

"No!" Ojiro cried out. "You're on fire! Your arm!"

Takiyo looked down to see his sleeve had slipped near the burner of the stove. He'd moved his omelet when he'd started ranting at the three idiots, but had neglected to turn the burner off. And now his sleeve was very much on fire.

"Aaah!" he let out a cry of alarm.

"Aaah!" Sero cried.

"Aaah!" screamed Ojiro and Sato.

Takiyo hastily turned to the sink, turning on the cold water and sticking his arm under it. It extinguished the blaze and he did not seem to have any burns, but his shirt was ruined. "This. Was. Silk!"

"Whoa, dude," Sero said, holding up both hands. Ojiro and Sato had moved to stand beside him. "You okay?"

"This is all your fault," Takiyo snapped. Before he even knew what he was doing, he threw up a hand and a beam of light lanced out towards the three of them.

The three acted surprisingly quickly. Ojiro and Sato both wrapped their arms around Sero, who shot a stream of his tape up towards the ceiling and yanked, pulling all three of them out of the path of his light beam. It struck the couch on the other end of the Common Room, but did no damage. He didn't have enough light stored up for that. Not yet anyway.

_Takiyo is five and a half years old and he has been living with Doctor Shima and Yuga Aoyama for more than a year. Six months ago, they adopted him. They didn't ask him to forget his mom or dad, but they wanted him as a part of their family, now and forever. And they are good, kind people who love him and who aren't afraid of his Quirk. He wants to be a part of their family. They spend part of their time in Japan and part of their time in France, where some of his _papa's_ family is from. His _papa_ is a famous hero and his dad is a doctor. _

_He doesn't see his old friends anymore. Their parents are afraid of him, won't let them play with him. But he's made new friends, the kids of his _papa's_ friends. They aren't afraid of him. Maybe he doesn't get as close to them as he'd like, but they are good people too._

_He is six when he decides he wants to be a Hero like _Papa. Papa's _friends, Mrs. Yaoyorozu and Mrs. Iida do some tests on him and design him a belt and bracelets to wear, like the belt _Papa_ wears. He works with _Papa_ to learn how to use his Quirk. He will be a Hero._

"_In this world," _Papa _tells him once, "there will be many people who say you cannot do it. Because you need support. Because your Quirk is not quite right for who you are. You must ignore it. You shine and show the world your sparkle. You will take them all by storm and prove the wrong."_

_So he tries to always shine, to always sparkle. He has to prove everyone wrong. He has to be the best, so that no one can ever say there is anything wrong with him again_.

Sero had somehow managed to swing his trio from one spot to another across the Common Room ceiling. Takiyo had continued trying to tag them with light blasts—one good one would probably make him lose his grip and then he could get his hands on them—but to no avail.

Unfortunately, their fighting had attracted attention of others in the dorm and they now all found themselves under the disapproving glares of Asuka Tokoyami and Akaya Koda.

"Someone please explain to me why you're turned the Common Room into a shooting gallery?" Tokoyami asked, one finger aside her beak.

Sero and Takiyo both pointed at the other. "He started it!" they said as one.

Tokoyami let out a groan. "I don't know why I expected anything else," she said.

"Kenta," Koda said, looking to her friend. "Could you tell us what happened?"

The thick-lipped young man looked guiltily at Sero. "We were filming and Aoyama started yelling at us… But Takuma started yelling back and then Aoyama got distracted and set himself on fire and it kind of spiraled from there."

Under the dual gaze of the most responsible and level-headed members of the class, Takiyo did not especially feel like putting up an argument. Koda was of one of the few members of the class who did not seek to make him less than he was. And Tokoyami had mastered the art of "disappointed in you" to a level he was not fully certain he understood.

"Clean up the mess, please," Tokoyami said. "I don't want any of you getting in trouble with Aizawa for destroying the dorm."

"Aw, but we were going to…" Ojiro began. Sato gave her a nudge in the ribs. "Oh, okay."

Takiyo grumbled, but reluctantly nodded.

He couldn't afford to let anything jeopardize his future as a Hero.

Because he had to be a Hero. And a famous, important one at that. Because if he saved people, if he saved everyone, if everyone loved him…

Then maybe he could save enough people to make up for what he'd done. Maybe one day he could look in the mirror and see a Hero, instead of someone who'd killed his own mom.


	26. Chapt24: Akaya Koda and Class 1-B

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 24: Akaya Koda and the Garden of Friendships**

Akaya Koda strolled across the U.A. campus, enjoying the mid-April sunshine. She wore a yellow sundress and a wide-brimmed hat, along with a pair of sandals. After an exhausting week, she was glad for the weekend. Rescue training at the USJ had been intense, even without the faux Villain attack on Thursday.

At the same time though, it had been fulfilling work, and work that her Quirk was well suited too. With her power to rapidly grow and control plant life (She disliked the term "controlled," though. She preferred to believe she was seeking their aid), she could shore up other structures, form ropes from vines, and even rapidly grow food when necessary. She disliked violence, always preferring to restrain rather than injure, something else her Quirk excelled at. Perhaps that was the best path for her to take. It would take long and careful thought and prayer before she could come to any truly satisfactory conclusion.

Her destination today, though, was the Community Garden. It had been established a few years ago at U.A. and was primarily tended to by students with an interesting in growing things, though some teachers would assign work there as detention duty. It wasn't especially large, but it did provide a measure of additional fresh fruits and vegetables to the dorms so that less had to be spent on groceries. Akaya enjoyed it immensely.

As she approached the garden, she saw that some of her friends were already there. Kentaro Fukui of Class 1-B gave her a friendly smile and wave. At nearly three meters tall and more than a meter wide, his Quirk, "Large", made him a formidable sight. But his features overall were not monstrous, with short cropped dark hair and cool grey eyes, he was simply… Large. It wasn't often that Akaya met someone who was bigger than she was, other than her own father, or Shoji and his father. She gave him a friendly wave in return.

"Good morning, Fukui," she said. "I trust you're well?"

He nodded. "Doing great, thanks," he said. For his size, his voice was surprisingly high pitched.

"Did you enjoy the USJ?" she asked.

"Eh…" Fukui rubbed the back of his head with an oversized hand. "I'm not really cut out for Rescue work. I'm okay at heavy lifting, but I'm more likely to bring something down."

Akaya nodded. "We all have our callings we are meant to attend. I am certain you will find yours."

"Akaya!" a buzzing voice called out. Chiasa Kamakiri of Class 1-B looked much like her father, Togaru Kamakiri, with a head something like a praying mantis and yellow-green skin. Her dark green hair, though, came from her mother, Setsuna Tokage. Her Quirk, Swarm, allowed her to split parts of her body into a swarm of smaller versions of herself linked by a hive mind and reform. "You're late!" She wagged a finger teasingly.

Akaya gave her a chagrinned smile. "My apologies, Chiasa. I am afraid I had to help defuse a situation in the dorm this morning before I could leave."

"What happened?"

"Kenta, Ojiro, and Sero upset Aoyama," she explained. "They were filming something—I am truthfully not certain of the details—and it ended with Aoyama setting his shirt on fire. He was understandably quite upset and became rather threatening towards them."

Something of an understatement, actually. She was one of the few who got along well enough with Aoyama, but she largely suspected that was because she was, cordial and unargumentative with him.

"Fortunately," she went on, "Tokoyami and I were able to calm them all down… but it was likely it would have escalated into further violence. We found the three of them trying to avoid being blasted by him by hanging from the ceiling by Sero's tape."

Chiasa laughed at that, clicking her mandibles together rapidly. "Your morning sounds more exciting than ours. Though I think Monoma's up to something. He was watching Kana, Midoriya, and Kirishima-Bakugo through binoculars when they came back from their morning run."

Akaya frowned. Shiro Monoma did tend to let the supposed "rivalry" between the classes get the better of him. Though that only applied to 1-A. From what she could tell, he had no problems with the Heroics Course students in 1-C. She counted Shiro as a friend, but there were times where he could cause trouble for everyone. And he did seem to have a particular itch for getting Kirishima-Bakugo riled up. "I shall let them know."

It was better to be forewarned and forearmed. Especially since it would likely prevent Kirishima-Bakugo from trying to kill him.

"I don't know what his problem is," Fukui said. "But I do know Tetsutetsu hitting him all the time like that can't be good for him."

"He deserves it," Chiasa said. "He just wants to stir things up for no reason."

Akaya was much less certain of the "no reason" part than Chiasa was, and even less so of the "deserves it" part. Granted, she did not live with him as she did, but she also considered herself to be closer to him than most. Shiro simply wished to succeed, something that was an uphill battle with his Quirk. His Quirk to imitate the actions of others—she knew he had poured over countless hours of videotape of Heroes like Eraserhead and Gunhead—was formidable under the right circumstances, but she also knew most wrote it off as inconsequential compared to flashier Quirks. Many had accused him of being capable of nothing more than Imitation, lacking the originality to make his copied skills useful. He wished to prove them all wrong.

History repeating itself. Shiro had often mentioned his father had suffered similarly. None of which was hers to reveal to those who did not know.

"We must all make our own way in the world," she said instead. "Some of our paths are simply stormier and more turbulent than others. He shows great loyalty to your class and wants you all to succeed."

That got another laugh from Chiasa. "Dunno how you stay so calm all the time, Akaya," she said. "Especially with the crazies you live with. Especially Mineta."

"It… can be trying," Akaya admitted. Her classmates and friends were good people. But they each carried their own baggage and their own eccentricities. "Faith helps."

"What's a Mineta?" Fukui asked, looking a bit befuddled.

"Someone you'll meet soon enough, I'm sure," Chiasa said. "When you do, you'll know."

The gardening was simple, but not easy work. There were plants to water, plant food to spread, weeds to pull, insects and other pests to send on their way, and even a certain amount of harvest to reap. The three of them had been joined by Shikha Mizuno, from Class 1-C, a doe-eyed young woman with pointed ears and large antlers growing out from her head. Her Quirk, Antlers, let her grow hers rapidly in varying lengths and shapes, even using them like a second set of limbs.

"It's hard to believe so many of the Hero students this year are second gen or more," Mizuno was saying, as she worked on weeding from around the vegetables. "Nobody in my class is. Kind of makes us all feel a little inadequate. You guys all must have a big leg up."

Akaya nodded. "To some extent. Our parents had much advice and training to offer us, but at the end of the day, there is only so much they could offer compared to this school. You will make up whatever gulf there is in time." It was true, however, that nearly all of the students in Class 1-A were the children of the infamous Class 1-A, and many of the students in Class 1-B were likewise the children of their contemporaries. Class 1-C, by contrast, had no second generation or greater Hero students to it.

"Besides," Fukui added, "not all of us in 1-B are second gen either. And 1-A's got one who isn't too, right, Koda?"

She nodded again. "Haimawari. He is quite skilled, though." And would be more so if he could shed the nervousness that dominated most of his actions. "But I expect you too, will have your chance to shine, Mizuno. Good things come to those who wait."

Mizuno frowned. "I guess," she said. "Wish I had your certainty."

"Get outta here, you!" a tiny voice rang out. Akaya looked down to see a dozen tiny Chiasa's (somehow all wearing tiny versions of her clothes, she couldn't begin to understand how that worked), chasing a slug from the garden. They corned the creature and lifted, running until they had carried it outside the garden's boundary. Satisfied, they returned to Chiasa, where they vanished and reformed into the fingers of her left hand.

Chiasa gave her fingers an experimental wiggle, then made a disgusted face. "Ugh, slime. Anybody got a towel?"

Fukui passed her own and received a nod of thanks. "That the last of it?" he asked.

"Enough before lunch, at least," Akaya said. "I think we've a bit more to do before we're done."

"Be easier if you just made everything grow, though," Fukui added.

She shook her head. "I try to only use my Quirk when necessary. I may stray at times, but this garden is meant to be enjoyed by everyone and I would not deprive them of that, nor alter the flow of nature on so large a scale."

Chiasa laughed at that. "I think you just like hard work," she said.

Akaya simply gave her a smile. "I do at that."

They decided to go to the Class 1-B dorm for lunch, since Chiasa had mentioned they had a lot of leftovers from the previous night. Their Common Room followed much the same layout as Class 1-A's, albeit flipped so that everything was on the opposite side. Told to help themselves to whatever was in the fridge, Akaya had fixed herself a small salad and sat down with the others to eat.

They'd also been joined by more of her Class 1-B friends. There was the shadow-skinned Chizue Kuroiro, dark daughter of Shihai Kuroiro and Reiko Yanagi, whose Quirk "Life" let her bring any drawing to life and thus always carried Tarot Cards. And they were also joined by Hekima Kodai, a quiet young man with pale blue hair, who was the son of Yui Kodai and her husband (who had taken her last name), who had an expanded version of his mother's Quirk and could both shrink and grow organic and inorganic objects. Kana Tetsutetsu also joined them, after pouring herself a protein shake.

She also spotted Shiro Monoma walking across the Common Room to the stairs. He seemed to be muttering to himself. "Yes, that should do it. The perfect time, the perfect place, she'll never know it was me…"

"Join us, Shiro?" she offered. His words concerned her. Perhaps she could intervene and prevent unnecessary hardship. She was not quite as good as, say, Asuka Tokoyami or Izumi Todoroki (though Todoroki's skills only really seemed to apply to Kirishima-Bakugo) at defusing conflicts, but Shiro was an old friend and would usually listen to her.

He stopped and shook his head. "I am afraid I have too much to do today, Akaya," he said.

"Surely you have time for a brief respite?" she asked, firmly, but not harshly.

He seemed to weigh his options, sighed, and grabbed himself food from the fridge before sitting down with the rest of them. She waited for him to have a few bites before she spoke again. "Chiasa tells me you were spying on my classmates," she said. "Not heroic behavior at all. I would know why."

Akaya was not, by nature, a confrontational person. But neither would she see trouble come after her classmates and friends, especially from someone she also considered a friend.

"What?" Kana spat, more annoyed and exasperated than surprised. "Do I have to go upside your head again, Shiro?"

"You raise an ill omen over us all," Chizue said, while Hekima just shook his head.

Shiro shot Chiasa a betrayed look, but she was having none of it. "You were spying on them, Monoma," she said. "You had binoculars and everything. It's creepy when Mineta does it and it's creepy when you do it."

Shiro turned a shade of pale. "It's… you see… I don't have to explain myself to any of you!"

Fukui fixed his gaze upon Shiro. "You're not being a perv, are you, Monoma?"

"What? No!"

"Then what?" Akaya prompted.

Shiro looked away, guiltily. "I would really rather not discuss this."

"Should I… should I go?" Mizuno asked. Her antlers were drooping slightly and the Class 1-C girl looked distinctly uncomfortable at all discussion going back and forth.

"I do not believe that will be necessary," Akaya said. "Shiro, do I have your promise this is not some scheme to make Midoriya or Kirishima-Bakugo look bad or otherwise try to prove your class's superiority by undermining mine?"

In spite of everyone's eyes being on him, Shiro managed to look her in the eye. "I promise you it is nothing negative," he said. "In this particular instance, anyway. What some of your classmates do to embarrass your class is not under my control."

That was, Akaya was forced to admit, probably as good an answer as she was going to get. "I will hold you to that," she said. "And I will be very cross if you break that promise."

"Ooooh," Chiasa teased, "don't make Akaya cross, Monoma! She might say things like "drat" and "shoot" and "fiddlesticks!'"

That got a laugh from everyone except for Mizuno and Fukui. Kana's was a pleasant sound, a full on laugh that had her holding her stomach. Chiasa's was a clacking, buzzing, sound, while Chizue's was more of a reserved chuckle hidden behind her hand. Hekima was giggling and even Monoma was trying not to laugh and failing. Akaya accepted it good naturedly. She was not an angry person and rarely raised her voice, so she did not begrudge the joke at her expense. No harm was meant, after all.

"I might even venture so far as a "darn,'" she added, which only got a further laugh, especially from Chiasa, who nearly doubled over.

Kana finally recovered from her laughing. "Don't worry," she said. "If he doesn't behave himself, you can count on me to give him a good smack."

Shiro looked offended by that. "You've really got to stop doing that!"

She fired back. "When you stop doing creepy or annoying stuff, I will!"

Akaya held up her hands. "Please, no fighting while we are eating."

Both muttered their apologies, and Kana switched lines of thought. "Speaking of your class, Akaya," she said, "you know the new kid in your class?"

"Haimawari?"

Kana nodded. "Yeah, him. Midoriya's mentioned him a few times, though Katsumi usually rolls her eyes. I saw him during the entrance exam and he was really impressive!"

"What about him?" Akaya asked.

Kana looked away, being surprisingly shy for a moment before she looked back. "Is he seeing anyone?"

Well, that was certainly not the question she was expecting. And judging from some of the reactions from the others, neither was anyone else.

"OooOoh," Chiasa teased, when she found her words "Kana's got a cruuush."

"I wouldn't have picked you for the crushing type," Chizue said. "Not that kind of crushing, anyway." Next to her, Fukui made a kissy-face.

Hekima blinked slowly. "I have no idea who that is."

Monoma just shook his head. "He's not exactly a heroic dynasty, Kana. You could do better."

Mizuno perked up, antlers waving rapidly in the air. "Oh! I know him! My family shops at his family's convenience store! We went to school together before U.A.! He's kind of a dork, but he's a really nice guy!"

That tracked with Akaya's assessment of Haimawari as well. More importantly, neither Todoroki, Tokoyami, nor Midoriya would be friends with someone who was unpleasant or dishonorable, so that further honed her assessment of him.

"As far as I know," Akaya replied, "he does not. But I cannot claim to have spoken to him for any great length of time, so my knowledge is incomplete. Midoriya, Tokoyami, or Todoroki would be better people to ask." Shota Shinso, of course, also spent time with them, but he was not especially observant about anything that did not involve Heroes.

Kana put her head on the tabletop. "If I ask Midoriya, Katsumi's going to find out and she'll never let me here the end of it."

"You don't think she'll find out anyway?" Shiro asked. "From what I understand of Class 1-A, the second anything vaguely romantic happens, it makes an appearance in the Ojiro girl's gossip show."

Mizuno clapped her hands together. "Oh, I love that show! And the other one she's in sometimes, with the guy who eats stuff!"

Fukui grinned. "Ooooh, I love that one too! The pink guy is super cute! I can't believe he already has a boyfriend!"

Akaya was not without passions of her own and had harbored many a childhood crush over the years, but the hurriedness of some of her friends and classmates to leap into relationships still often surprised her. Some of them more than others, of course. Mika Mineta let her passions rule her to the point of overriding her reason. On the other hand, she also tried very hard not to judge the actions of others. She had not walked in their shoes nor lived their lives. So she would not dissuade Kana from her path, nor any of the others.

"Iida and Sero seem very happy together so far," she told Fukui. "But how long this may last, would not begin to speculate."

"So you're saying I might have a chance?"

"It is not my place to say."

The large young man just shook his head. "You guys have known her longer. Is she always this cryptic?"

"I wouldn't say cryptic," Hekima said. "Chizue's cryptic. Akaya just doesn't like to make snap judgements."

"What about you, Akaya?" Chiasa asked, mischief in her eyes. "You crushing on anyone?"

"None at present," she said, then held up a hand to forestall any follow-up questions that she knew were coming. "My last major crush was when I was thirteen, on Tensei Iida. I can see now such would have been folly anyway, so there is no harm in not having acted upon it."

"Ooof," Chiasa said. "Too bad."

Akaya gave a little shrug. Some things were simply not meant to be. They were in charge of their own destinies, but in some cases, there were simply paths they were not meant to follow.

Kana resumed pounding her head on the table. "What am I gonna do?"

"If you like him," Akaya said, "then may I suggest boldness? It seems to have worked well for Sora Iida in beginning a relationship with Midoriya."

"Maybe," Kana said.

"As much as it pains me to suggest anything that might benefit someone in Class 1-A," Shiro said, "Akaya's right. You're too bold and tough not to just step up to the plate."

Kana nodded, seemingly satisfied with that. "All right then. I'll give it a shot."

Later, Akaya returned to the 1-A dorm, satisfied in a long day of hard work. They'd gotten a lot accomplished in the Community Garden and she was able to bring back a basket full of fresh vegetables with her. They'd be able to make good use of these over the next few days.

She wondered how much she should tell her classmates. Part of her wanted to warn Midoriya and Kirishima-Bakugo that Shiro was watching them, but she also had his promise that he meant no harm. She could, at least, respect Kana's privacy to approach Haimawari on her own terms, but the other bothered her. She did not like keeping secrets. Shiro had not asked her to keep it a secret, but to draw Kirishima-Bakugo's attention to him was absolutely to put him at risk. Kirishima-Bakugo's explosive temper was legendary enough as it was without adding more fuel to the fire.

Ultimately… if they asked, she would not lie. But she supposed she did not have to volunteer that information either. It was a lie of omission, but she felt she could live with it.

As she settled back into her dorm room, she felt her phone buzz with a text message.

Carefully, she withdrew her oversized phone from its pocket in her dress, meant to fit easily in the palm of her oversized hand. She unclipped the stylus (most capacitive screens did not work well with her rocky skin) to see who it was. It turned out to be from Shiro.

The text simply said, "_See? No harm meant_" and was followed by a photo attachment. Curious, she tapped the attachment with her stylus to open it. The attachment opened, revealing a rather intricately crafted origami crane situated in the middle of what appeared to be an origami explosion. She knew Shiro regularly studied various artists and crafters in order to acquire additional skills, but it was impressive work all the same. More so when she recognized what had to be little original flourishes he had added, since his Quirk relied upon imitation.

This, however, just raised further questions. Spying and origami did not typically go together. Just what was Shiro up to? Few explanations presented themselves and the ones that did were too mind boggling to consider for long.

Carefully, she texted back. _I am going out on a limb by trusting you. Do not betray that_.

_Do not worry,_ Shiro texted. _All will be well_.

She could only pray that it would be.

Sero and Iida, Miroriya and the other Iida, Kana and Haimawari, and now whatever was going on here… Perhaps it was time she began to consider what she wanted, before it was too late.


	27. Interlude 2, part 1: Heroes

**Their Hero Academia – Interlude 2: Heroes and Villains **_Part 1: Heroes_

Izuku Midoriya thanked the hostess who had shown him to the restaurant's back room and looked upon some of his best friends in all the world. They didn't get to all see each other as much as they liked anymore, not since so many of them were so busy with their careers as Pro Heroes, but they liked to get together when they could. At least he got to see Kacchan and Eijiro on a regular basis, since they actually lived next door to each other, with Denki and Kyoka on the Kirishima-Bakugos' other side, in a gated community that catered to Pro Heroes. Tetsutetsu and Itsuka actually lived across the street, as did Monoma and his wife.

Momo had actually bought the restaurant many years ago so that they could get together when they wanted with some modicum of privacy. Considering they counted among their number a very large number of Heroes in the Top Ten, it was a necessary precaution.

"Deku!" And there was the voice that could brighten his world immediately, his wife of twenty years, Ochako. She leapt up from her chair next to Tsuyu and ran over to him, wrapping him in a hug that he gladly returned, followed by a kiss. Behind them, he could hear Denki and Minoru hooting and hollering, but he ignored them.

"Hey you," he said. "You get the kids dropped off at Mom and Dad's okay?"

Ochako smiled. "Yeah. Hana's being moody about the whole thing, but Mako's just happy to be seeing her Grandpa Might."

Not surprising. At almost thirteen and with no interesting in turning Pro Hero herself, Hana was a typical teenager. But she was looking to apply her Object Attraction Quirk to the medical field, so the tradition of helping people was still going strong. At five, Mako was perfectly happy to be her Grandpa Might's "sidekick." Which worked out well for everyone, so long as she wasn't setting things on fire with her Fire Breath Quirk, anyway. He made a note to talk to Shoto about stepping up her lessons in controlling it.

They'd come a long way from a class of teenagers thrown into the deep end of the Hero pool, beset by villains and watched by the world. Now they were adults with careers and families of their own. They all had children, many of them more than one. A lot of potential little Heroes, as Dad liked to say.

"Good," he said, as he took her hand in his and joined their friends at the long table. There were thirty-three of them all together. Himself and Ochako, Tsuyu and Fumikage, Tenya and Mei, Denki and Kyoka, Momo and Shoto, Kacchan and Eijiro, Mezo and Haruko, Hitoshi and Camie, Hanta and Mina, Mashirao and Toru, Koji and Ibara, Minoru and Pony, Yuga and Haru, and Rikido; they were also joined tonight by Itsuka and Tetsutetsu, Kota and Eri, and Mirio and Melissa. It made it a little hard to have a conversation, but they managed. Most of them had been through hell together and that had forged bonds that nothing would ever break.

For his part, he spent some time talking to Mirio and Melissa, gushing over how well their eldest, Tamaki, was doing as one of his sidekicks. Considering both he and Mirio operated together out of Might Tower (an extraordinary graduation gift from Dad), and Melissa ran their Support division, it was probably unnecessary, but he couldn't help but share what he felt.

Around him, the others were engaged in conversations of their own, interrupted only briefly by the wait-staff arriving to take their orders. Ochako and Tsu exchanged parenting tips, Mei and Melissa were lost in some technical discussion he couldn't follow at all, Haru and Haruko were talking as the always did, of the troubles of being a non-Hero spouse. Eijiro and Tetsutetsu were proudly sharing pictures of their youngest to anyone who would listen, while Kacchan looked more and more exasperated by his husband's antics by the minute. Hanta was teasing Tenya about being future in-laws. And he was fairly certain he heard Mina telling Toru that she was pregnant again.

Finally, after the food had been brought and eaten, Izuku clinked on his glass with his spoon to get everyone's attention.

"Okay," he said. "As nice as this has been—really great to see everyone again—we actually do have a real reason for getting together tonight. As you know…"

"Oh, shut it, Deku!" Kacchan shouted, giving him an annoyed look. "Nobody says "as you know" unless they're in a bad manga! We all get it, the Sports' Festival's coming up in a couple weeks!"

"Well… yeah," he said. "That. Anyway, we all know it's coming up. And while I'm hoping all of our kids do well enough to get a lot of offers…"

"YEAH!" Eijiro interrupted, springing up and waving both fists in the air. "My Katsumi's gonna kick so much ass! You'll all get to see how awesome she is!"

"Shit down, Shitty Hair," Kacchan said, yanking him back down in his seat.

"Sorry, Izuku, Bakubabe!" Eijiro said. "Got carried away."

Izuku waved it off. "It's fine, it's fine. But like I was saying, we've talked about it before, but we want to make sure all the kids have offers. I know some of us can remember how bad it felt not to have any."

Around the table, several of his friends and former classmates nodded.

"Just remember to keep an eye out for General Studies kids too," Hitoshi said. "U.A.'s gotten better about getting people into the Hero Course, but there's still a lot of them slipping through the cracks."

"Not that being in General Studies is bad," Haruko said, from her spot next to Mezo. Dark haired, taciturn, and serious, Izuku had always thought she was a perfect match for Mezo. Even if none of them had even known the two of them even knew each other until they'd gotten the wedding invitations. "But we were all proud of you for making it, Hitoshi."

Hitoshi gave her a polite nod in return. "Lots of hard work," he said. "You could have made it too, you know."

She shook her head. "I was never cut out for it. I don't have the strength to back up my Arm-Stretching that Daisuke does. Besides, one Hero and one Hero trainee in the family is enough for me."

"Anyway," Izuku said, "I got an e-mail from Aizwa this morning and it basically said that if any of us even _thought_ about taking our own kids for Work Study week, he would track us down and beat the stuffing out of us."

Minoru let out a terrified shriek, clinging to Pony at the very thought.

On the other hand, Eri and Hitoshi both let out a laugh. "Sorry," Eri said. "But that's just such a _Dad_ thing to say."

"You really can't see how frightening he is, can you?" Kota asked.

"He's really a softie," she replied. Kota gave her a look that suggested she'd gone mad, but didn't belabor the point. All things considered, Izuku didn't blame him. He still considered Aizawa to be one of the scariest people alive and he'd taken on some incredibly frightening Villains in his career.

"He still means it though," Hitoshi said. "But he's softened in his age if he's giving us a warning."

"Wait," Denki piped in. "So that means…"

He trailed off and Kyoka gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "Take your time."

Denki have this some thought for a moment, before shaking his head. "Nope, I got nothing."

"I assume you're suggesting there's nothing preventing us from extending offers to each other's children, Izuku?" Momo asked.

Izuku nodded. "Right, Momo. So I thought maybe we could work it out ahead of time."

"I must object!" Tenya said, leaping to his feet, hands rapidly swinging through the air. Mei and Shoto, seated on either side of him, had to dodge out of their way. "Surely, this premeditated behavior is unbecoming of Pro Heroes such as ourselves, not to mention unfair to the sportsmanship of U.A!"

"Oh, relax, Tenya," Ochako told him, looking mildly annoyed. Izuku could understand it. Tenya actually had relaxed some since they were in school, but could still be a stick in the mud. "We're not depriving the kids of any offers. We're just making sure they all have one if they want it. And we can scout more than one student if we see someone else who really catches our eye."

Tenya grumbled a reluctant agreement.

"Nejire and Tamaki let me know they want to be involved too, if they can," Mirio said. He'd known in advance, of course, since Izuku and Ochako had discussed this idea with him.

"A good plan," Shoto agreed. "But who gets whose kid?"

"I was getting to that, thanks, Shoto," Izuku said.

"Well, hurry it up, Deku!" Kacchan snapped. "Some of us haven't got all night!"

"It's nearly his bedtime," Eijiro said.

"Gotta get a full fucking eight hours, Shitty Hair!"

Camie looked over at Bakugo. "Actually, Hitoshi and I were talking, and we think it'd be mad lit if you'd take Shota."

Kacchan's eyes went a little wide as he fixed the two of them were a glare. "And what makes you think I'd wanna take the little loudmouth?"

Hitoshi was unfazed by Kacchan's glare, returning it with a heavy-lidded look of his own. "Shota has a Quirk that is both unique and powerful. But he is prone to distraction and sometimes lacks discipline. You should be able to provide some instruction on the first and temper the latter."

After a moment of sustained eye contact, Kacchan backed down. He waved a dismissive hand in the air. "All right, but you owe me big for this, Sleepy. Your kid never shuts up."

Hitoshi simply shrugged in reply.

"He gets his mad gift of gab from me, fam," Camie said, proudly. She always was good at getting a rise out of Bakugo and basked in the glow of his annoyance.

Izuku decided it was best to simply move on. "All right, that's one down. I, ah, I think it's probably best though that we deal with the "difficult" children first."

"Difficult children?" Mina asked. "We don't have any difficult children!"

Well, this was going to be awkward. He knew it would be. But Izuku pressed on. He coughed, awkwardly clearing his throat. "Mika, Chihiro, Takuma, Katsumi, and the Twins."

Predictably, the room exploded.

"How dare you accuse my little princess!" Minoru shouted, pointing an angry finger.

"Minny…" Pony said, trying to calm him down.

"What's wrong with Chihiro?" Denki demanded.

"She's got your genes," Kyoka told him, rolling her eyes.

"What the hell, Izuku?!" Mina shouted. "I thought we were friends!"

"Takuma's always getting Kenta into trouble, Mina," Rikido said, crossing his arms. Hanta just looked awkwardly between his friend and his wife.

"I am hurt by these unmanly accusations!" Eijiro cried out.

"Deku, you take that back, damn you!" Kacchan roared.

"What did you say about my babies?!" Mei screamed.

"Excuse me," Tenya shouted, standing again with his arms flailing through the air. "My children are not difficult!"

The room went quiet for a minute, before everyone turned to state at him. They were all familiar with the particular manic energy that was the Twins.

"They are a handful," Tenya added, pushing his glasses up. "There is a difference." Izuku knew that between his wife and his children, Tenya lived a very happy, but rather stressful life. He said he wouldn't have it any other way.

Eyes returned to Izuku and he swallowed nervously. He'd rather have been facing a room full of super-villains. "We all know what I'm talking about," he said after a moment. "We all love our kids, they're all great kids. But some of them need a little more guidance or a little firmer a hand than others. That's it. Maybe difficult wasn't the best word, but… still…"

Fortunately, things settled after that.

"I'd be happy to take Chihiro," Momo said. "Kyoka and I have been talking with Eri already. It will be a good opportunity to begin preliminary plans for Support equipment she can use."

"Thanks, Momoyao," Kyoka said, clearly relieved that her responsible friend wanted to take charge of her daughter. "Just remind her she's got my genes too, okay? Don't let her do too many stupid things like my Idiot here."

"When have I ever done anything stupid?" Denki asked, looking slightly hurt.

"You really don't want me to answer that question."

Minoru stretched a hand into the air. "Oh! Oh! Tsu! You should take my little girl! You've got an all-female crew, right? No boys to get her in any trouble?"

"Minny, you know Mika doesn't just like boys," Pony corrected him. Given her tone of voice, it was probably something she'd tried to remind him of many times.

He pressed on anyway. "Boys her age are nothing but trouble. Should have sent her to an all-girls school." The irony of his statement seemed lost on him.

Tsuyu put a finger to the side of her mouth. "I'd love to whip her into shape," she said, "but she can't swim, *kero*." Tsuyu had taken over from Captain Selkie many years ago and primarily patrolled the waters of Japan. She was good at it too, good enough to have become the Number Nine Hero. That she was popular with children and adults didn't hurt.

"However," Momo said, "she could use someone responsible and disciplined." That was an understatement. Mika was her father again all over, though perhaps not quite as reprehensible as Minoru had been before he'd stumbled into dating Pony.

Several pairs of eyes fell on Tenya. Shock crossed his face at first, but was then replaced by his usual look of determination. "Very well," he said. "I shall do my best to instill in her the proper values of a future Pro-Hero and UA student."

"I can take Tensei," Mezo volunteered. "Your son is… excitable, Tenya, but skilled. I can teach him how to observe and think."

"And I can take Sora," Mashirao adds. "Mezo and I both have a pretty back to basics approach that'll do the Twins some good."

Mei waved a hand in their direction. "Oh, sure, if you wanna be boring about it!"

Tenya was calmer, giving them both a polite nod. "Thank you both," he said. "I apologize in advance for any trouble they may cause you."

"Okay, we've got the Terror-Twins sorted out,' Mina said. "Can we go back to the part where you think Takuma is difficult? Because that's clearly wrong. He's just building his brand!"

"He's a bad influence," Rikido said again.

"They're just kids," Toru said. "And they're having fun!"

"How can you say that, Rikido? After everything I've done for you?" Mina wailed.

"He lacks discipline," Fumikage said, cutting through the arguing. "I can correct that."

Mina blew air out through her lips and Izuku was certain he was going to have to intervene and prevent a fight. "Fiiine," she whined. "But I don't see what need fixing."

No one was going to touch that point. That Mina was a terrible disciplinarian who let her children run all over her was well known. Hanta wasn't much better, but he did try to keep things under control.

"Maybe if you didn't have so many kids, Raccoon Eyes," Kacchan sneered, "you could keep your eyes on this one."

"Oh, come off it, Katsuki!"

Hanta placed a restraining hand on her arm. "Honey, it's not good for you to get stressed… It's not good for the babies."

"Babies?" Eijiro asked, grinning. "Are you pregnant again, Mina? That's fantastic!"

"Aren't you a little o…" Denki began, but a sharp glare from Mina stopped him from completing that thought. It a rare show of life-preserving sense, he stopped talking.

"Yeah," Mina said. "Twins this time. Last kids, I promise. I just can't keep Hanta off me! Of course, it's pretty hard to resist, with how big his…" Next to her, Hanta turned several shades of red.

Izuku didn't know how Mina and Hanta did it. His and Ochako's three were enough of a handful. They had five kids already, and now two more? He grinned, though. "I guess congratulations are in order, then!" Various congratulations went out from the other members of their group, except for Kacchan.

"There's still time for you to get back in the contest, Tsu!" Mina said.

"What contest?" Tsuyu asked, confused.

"The kids contest!" It was true, after Mina and Hanta, Tsuyu and Fumikage had the most kids.

"That's not a contest," Tsuyu said.

"Said the loser."

That got a few laughs from the group, before they moved on.

"Anyway," Mina said, "I wanna take Asuka. She could use a chance to loosen up."

"Ah," Hanta said. "You're going off active duty before the Sports Festival, hon."

"Aw, dammit!" Mina said. "I forgot!"

"I'll take her!" Toru piped in. Izuku assumed she was waving her arms excitedly, judging by how the straps of her dress were moving, but he couldn't be certain. "We'll make it a girls' week!"

"And teach her something, *kero*," Tsuyu said.

"Yeah, that too!"

"Perhaps I should take Kimiko?" Yuga asked, one hand on his chest, staring slightly off to the side as he often did, as though looking into some invisible camera. "The unseen could use a few tricks about visibility and standing out."

"Sorry to steal your sparkle, Yuga, but I'm calling this one," Eri interrupted. "Kimiko's expressed some interest in continuing her medical education and I'm due for some field work during the Hero Courses' work study anyway. I think it might be good for her to see what it's like out there."

"Who am I to refuse such a lovely lady's request," Yuga said, bowing slightly in his seat.

"Let me know if you'll be at my hospital," his husband, Haru, said. "I can probably arrange a few things."

"Of course, thanks," Eri said.

"And thank you, Eri," Mashirao said. "Kimiko seems really excited about this. I think she's found her calling."

Eri smiled. "Just happy I could help."

"I want to take Katsumi," Ochako said. Izuku tried to hide his surprise. They definitely hadn't discussed that! Not that he had anything against Kacchan's daughter; she and Toshi were practically siblings. But she definitely wasn't the type Ochako usually took on.

"You do? What's your angle here, Round Face?" Kacchan asked. "She's no Rescue Hero."

"That's not _all_ I do," she said. "Besides… I think a little Gunhead-style martial arts instruction will really help her focus."

"It _is_ a manly art," Eijiro said, rubbing his chin. "I like it! Thanks, Ochako!"

Kacchan crossed his arms and scowled. "Fine. But no going easy on her!"

Ochako made her meanest face back at him. Which looked more ridiculous than scary. Izuku had to turn away to keep from laughing, which would have gone very badly for him and likely ended with him sleeping on the couch.

"Okay," Izuku said, "moving on…"

"I'm taking Toshi," Mirio said, grinning broadly. "I already called this when he was born. He's my godchild. You're not taking that from me. I'll fight you all if I have to."

"No you won't," Melissa told him.

"No I won't," he agreed. "But I am calling Toshi."

"So instead of his dad, he gets somebody just like him. Great." Kacchan rolled his eyes again. But he didn't argue the point. Mirio _was_ good at what he did. Izuku was well aware he'd set the bar as the Number One Hero incredibly high… and Mirio still found occasion to surpass him in the Rankings. Little wonder that Dad had once considered him a possible successor.

"Oh yeah," Mirio said, grinning. "Tamaki said he's take Kenta. Figures he could teach him a few things with an eating-based power."

Rikido nodded thoughtfully. "That'd work. Kenta's working hard, but I know he's struggling to find ways to make his Quirk work well. Tell him thanks."

Mirio tossed off a little salute. "Will do."

"I'll take Daisuke," Tetsutetsu said. He flexed and let out a shout. "It'll be a _**manly**_ week!"

Itsuka patted his bicep. "Inside voice, please."

"Sorry, babe. Got excited."

"And I'll be there to help too," Eijiro added. He and Tetsutetsu operated an agency together. They were good, but both Kacchan and Itsuka confessed that it sometimes caused them no end of grief when the two got a little too enthusiastic. "With whoever I pick up, of course."

That seemed satisfied to Mezo, who gave a simple nod.

"And who wants my darling boy?" Aoyama asked.

Hanta cracked his knuckles noisily. "I can do it. He might benefit from a down-to-Earth point of view."

Aoyama turned to Hanta, who was wearing cargo-shorts, with sandals and socks. He looked like he was turning a little green. But Haru leaned close and whispered something in his ear and some of the tension seemed to leave him.

"Oh, very well. A little worldly experience will do him good."

"What about Izumi?" Shoto asked.

Momo frowned. "I'm afraid to admit, I'm a bit concerned… but she also hasn't had any health or Quirk-related concerns since the one outburst. Her doctors have given her a clean bill of health to continue."

"I can do it."

If he'd had a chance to bet everything he had on this, Izuku never would have expected that it would have been Denki who had spoken up.

"_You_?" Kyoka said, making the word almost an accusation.

"She's gotta be careful not to overdue her Quirk. I can help with that."

"He… has a point, Kyoka," Momo said, after a moment. She turned to Shoto, who nodded. "Please take good care of her, Denki. We nearly lost her once, I don't know what we'd do if anything happened again."

Denki gave the both of them a thumbs' up. "You know it!"

"Can Akaya swim?" Tsuyu asked Koji and Ibara.

_She can_, Koji signed. _Surprisingly well_.

"She takes well to the water," Ibara agreed.

"Then I can take her," Tsuyu said. "I can teach her about water planets and how to use her Quirk in a different environment."

"What about you, Izuku?" Mirio asked. "Isn't that everyone? Going to hold off judgement until the big day?"

It was well known in the Hero community that Izuku _always_ picked at least one, sometimes two students for Work Study after the Sports Festival. He understood that the gambling halls spent considerable time and effort trying to figure out who he might pick, updating their odds until the very last minute. But no one had ever really figured out his pattern. Despite being the Number One or Number Two Hero at any given moment, he _never_ picked anyone who placed in the top three. He rarely even picked someone who placed in the top ten. He'd been doing it for over twenty years and no one had ever figured it out.

But it was really rather simple. Izuku always picked someone who looked like they deserved a chance to prove themselves. Maybe not someone who'd placed high, but someone who was trying their hardest and just needed a little spotlight to make their mark. He knew how it felt to be a kid with no offers, to be trying so hard but not measuring up to some horribly high standard. And he didn't want anyone to go through that if he could help it. He'd only lucked into an offer because his mentor's mentor had wanted to teach him. It didn't hurt that he still had a fantastic eye for analysis. He'd actually written a couple of books on Quirk analysis and application that were still being used as textbooks in a few of the Hero Schools.

"Maybe," he said. "Toshi's been talking up one of the kids' classmates. His parents aren't Heroes, so I want to get a good look at him in the Festival."

"Haimawari?" Shoto asked. "Izumi's mentioned him too. I think she still feels rather guilty for injuring him. But I'd planned on watching too."

Both snapped their attention to Eri and Kota, who had had more contact with the kid than either of them.

"Nope," Kota said. "I'm not playing favorites here or saying anything that might influence you. You're going to have to wait and watch."

"He's certainly got a heart for heroics," Eri said, clearly not feeling bound by the same rules as her husband. "Dad says he reminds him a lot of two of you when you were students."

"Interesting," Shoto said.

"Definitely," Izuku agreed. "So… I guess we just watch and wait and if we like him, we'll make offers and let him decide?"

"Sounds fair."

Kacchan slammed a fist on the table. "What's so special about this kid that's got everybody excited over him?!"

Izuku held up his hands to pacify his friend. Even though they had put their differences aside ages ago, he'd be lying if he said Kacchan's outbursts didn't make some small part of him still flinch inside. "Just hearing good things, Kacchan. We'll see where it goes."

A smug grin crossed Kacchan's face. "Yeah, well, maybe I'll watch for this kid too. Snipe him right out from under you and IcyHot."

"That'd be great! You've got a lot to offer, Kacchan!"

"Dammit, Deku, you can't even compete right…!"

Izuku just smiled, which only made Kacchan glower more. Some things never changed. "I think that's everyone? Tetsutetsu, Itsuka? Did you want somebody to take Kana, or…?"

"I can do it!" Ejiro volunteered.

"Yeah, that'd rock, bro!" Tetsutetsu cheered.

"Bro."

"Bro."

"Bro!"

"Bro!"

"Boys!" Itsuka shouted. "That's really nice, Eijiro, but probably not a good idea. You and Tetsu are too alike for her to learn anything new. Besides, she might start sliding back to when she and Katsumi couldn't tell you two apart."

"We're alike?" Eijiro asked. He looked at Tetsutetsu, who simply shrugged.

"But we're fine, Izuku," Itsuka said. "Neito's mentioned taking an interest in her, but we know she'll do well enough to find somebody."

"Or me!" Pony said. "I'd love to take Kana!"

"Let her get some offers, Pony," Itsuka said. "But we'll see. And I want all of you to keep an eye on my class too. Some of them might surprise you."

"I can respect that," Izuku said. "And we will. With you teaching them, I'm sure they'll do great!"

From there, the conversation drifted back to simpler topics. Day to day concerns, children, choices of whether or not to take a side job or endorse some piece of merchandise. For a little while, the world went away and they were just a group of friends getting together. Izuku smiled. This happened far too rarely and he intended to savor every moment.


	28. Interlude 2, part 2: Villains

**Their Hero Academia – Interlude 2: Heroes and Villains **_Part 2: Villains_

It was only when she was face to face with the brick wall at the end of the dead end alley that she stopped running and turned to face her pursuers. There were three of them, all of them carrying guns. One of them had a head like a cat, the other appeared normal, and the third, the only woman, had bright pink hair. There was no way around this. She was going to have to fight.

"Got you now," the cat-headed man said. "Guess you weren't so smart after all."

"Make this easy on yourself," the woman said. "Don't resist."

"Or do," the normal man said. "After what you did to Yao…"

She took a deep breath. She wasn't an intimidating woman, of average height and an athletic build. Granted, she was a flashy dresser, though her style could also be called eccentric, with thick black boots, fishnets, black booty shorts, a white crop top, and leather jacket the color of blood. The only truly notable thing about her was her hair, which was white as snow, flecked with red, and done up in a pair of girlish pigtails.

Oh, and of course, there were the two very large knives she was carrying. Considering they were still wet with blood, they might have been concerning.

"Drop the knives!" the woman ordered.

She didn't feel like doing that. Instead, she tossed the knives into air above their heads. Then, as their eyes followed the knives, the jumped against the wall, pushing off and into the air. As she sailed over their heads, she grabbed her knives, slashing as she came down.

_SLISH! _She got two of them, the normal man and the cat-headed man, slicing deep cuts in their arms, causing both to cry out and curse. She landed behind them and rolled, quickly getting to her feet.

There was blood in the air now. She could smell it. It was practically intoxicating. "Well," she said, "I do hate to cut and run…but I guess I've got time to _**burn**_."

At that last word, she activated her Quirk. Instantly, flames erupted where she had cut them, as the oxygenated blood began to ignite. The cut to the cat-headed man was deeper and his fires burned hotter and brighter, almost instantly engulfing the rest of his arm. The flames spread less quickly on the normal man, but burned hot at all the same. Both fell to the ground, trying to extinguish their burning extremities. Bloodburn was _such_ a useful Quirk! A little cut, expose the blood to oxygen, and she could make it ignite.

She gave the knife in her left hand a little spin, fixing the woman with her stare. People always did say there was something about her eyes. "Crazy eyes," they usually called them. She never understood why.

"How about you?" she asked. "You wanna go?"

The woman was shaking now, but fired off a shot from her gun, even as she charged her, knives flashing. The shot went wild and missed, but she didn't. One slash across her arm, forcing the woman to drop the gun, the other burying itself in her gut. She let the woman fall to the ground with a wet sound. There was so much blood; it smelled so sweet…

She gave the normal looking one a good kick and he grunted in pain. His flames hadn't spread as fast. He might live. But the other two probably wouldn't, not unless someone found them quickly. She didn't especially care one way or the other. The alley was filled with the smell of blood and burnt hair and flesh, and they probably had radioed for back-up or, worse, Heroes. She needed to get out of here.

She spun the knife in her right hand a few times, absently whistling as she walked back to the street. As she did, a car materialized out of nowhere, as though decelerating from a tremendous speed. The passenger door opened and she stepped inside. Her ride had finally gotten here.

Good. Rei Toga had places to be.

It was a location known only to a select few. The police and Heroes of the world would have given anything to know it. As it was, Rei herself did not actually know where it was. Maximum Overdrive, her ride, acted as transport and courier for the New League of Villains, using her Quirk to drive any vehicle through some kind of super-liminal warp zone to bring them there when meetings were called.

She couldn't read Overdrive at all, hidden as she was, in head-to-toe black leather, her face obscured by a race car driver's helmet with a mirrored visor. If she could talk, Rei had never heard her.

The meeting room looked like it belonged to a particularly well furnished office. If it belonged to their illustrious leader, or if they were simply using it after-hours, she didn't know. And she didn't particularly care.

Both took a seat at the long conference table, where the other members of the League were already waiting for them.

"Sorry it took so long," she said. "_Someone_ was late in picking me up. You run into too much traffic, Drivey?"

Overdrive didn't respond, other than to turn her head slightly to look at her. Rei settled for making faces in her reflective faceplate. She considered it a win when Overdrive turned away.

"Indulging your tastes for violence, Toga?" the large bear wearing a lab coat seated across from them asked.

"Not on _purpose_, Ursa," she replied. "But apparently when you're a wanted criminal, you just can't go out and buy the newest K-Pop CD's without somebody calling the cops. You go to a store and they all just start screaming and it's "Villain" this and "please don't kill me" that. _Sheesh_. Like I don't get a day off every now and then? And before you know it, you're stabbing cops and running and then stabbing some more!"

The League's science expert peered at her over his tiny glasses. "Quite understandable," he said, after a moment. "And it's Doctor Ursa. We've talked about this."

"Whatever you say, Ursa!"

He just shook his head and sighed.

The others around the table—the beetle-like Kabuto, Miss Compress, Metallix in his armor, and the green-haired Amp—reacted with a mixture of boredom and laughter. Pretty typical, really.

"Is our leader planning on showing up, _dahlings_?" Compress asked. She was dressed much like her mentor, the master criminal called Mister Compress. Her mask and hat rested on the table, exposing her pointed features and purple-black hair. "Because some of us do have other places to be."

It was simply the nature of the League. They were left to their own devices, free to pursue their own agendas, until their leader called upon them for their mutual goal in the destruction of Hero society. Society that had produced scum like her grandfather, who had abused her father and grandmother to the breaking point. The Heroes of that generation were mostly retired, with a new crop having arisen to take their place, but the flawed society still remained.

The original League, the one her parents had been a part of, had had vision and goals, to break the back of Hero society and show the world how flawed it was. It had ultimately failed, defeated by Izuku Midoriya and his friends. And though society had evolved and more Quirks were in the open than ever before… it was still a society that uplifted its Heroes far too much, still relied upon them to solve all its problems.

The second League, from ten years ago, hadn't been worthy of the name. They'd taken it for shock value and were only interested in money and other material goods. Sure, they'd hurt a few heroes, but they were nothing but pretenders.

Rei was the newest member of this League. She'd been on the run when they'd approached her, in-between killing a few people who had definitely deserved it. Probably deserved it, anyway. Either way, Mom would have been proud.

This League was going to finish what the old one started.

As if in response to Compress's question, the television on the wall clicked on. "Good," their leader said, his voice a slow, painful hiss. "You're all here."

Cruel, dark eyes settled on Doctor Ursa. "Your Quirk Virus isn't doing its job, Ursa! People aren't afraid of it! They're still using their Quirks! The Hero schools are still open! They're still planning the damn Sports Festival! Why aren't you infecting any Heroes?! _Why aren't things worse_?"

Doctor Ursa remained unflappable in the face of their leader's rage. A master planner he may have been, he was still prone to ranting when things went poorly. Good to get things out in the open, Rei thought.

Ursa pushed his glasses up slightly on his snout. "As I have explained, I am working under the parameters you gave me. Combining the Trigger drug you supplied with the blood extracted from our "guest" has been enough to cause one-time flare-ups of Quirks… but neither is strong enough nor long lasting enough to cause the chaos you're looking for, especially in a person as healthy as a Hero. With our distribution method being rather limited, we're simply doing the best we can. We're still seeing global spikes, even if science is rapidly marching against us."

Their leader glowered, his scarred face looking even more intimidating with the expression. But Ursa did not flinch under it.

"Fine," he said. "Your explanation is… acceptable. But I want the potency and time table sped up."

"As you wish. I may need a new test subject."

"When you find who you need, the League will retrieve them," their leader said. He steepled his fingers. "As for the rest of you… I have a mission."

Miss Compress pulled the binoculars away from her eyes. "Our target will be here in two minutes, _dahlings_. Let's make a show of it. Just because there aren't any cameras doesn't mean we can't be _fabulous_!"

"You talk too much, Compress," Metallix said. He was a big man, tall and broad. He wore heavy metal gauntlets, a metallic breastplate and shoulder guards, tall metal boots, and a metal, bullet-shaped helmet over a black bodysuit. "And stop doin' that sing-song thing. It's makin' my head hurt."

He stepped into the road, right in the path of the semi-truck that had rounded the curve of the road. Bringing up both hands, the metal of his gauntlets began to shift and flow, like liquid, until a spear of solid metal extended from both, slamming into the semi's engine. The driver hit the brakes hard and the vehicle skidded to a stop.

Amp, her green hair done up in a mohawk and dressed in punk-style, was next. She Quirk let her amplify the emotions of others, and she turned it on the driver of the semi. Already afraid, his fear was amplified a hundred fold. He bolted from the cab and turned to run. She rolled her eyes. "Oh, wow. Running. How original."

Which was when Rei clotheslined him. People always underestimated just how much of a punch she could throw. Not that the guy was coherent enough to have been expecting it or have formed an opinion on her punching abilities. But people often did. What was she going on about again?

He hit the ground hard, smacking his head on the road. "Ooooh," Rei said. "He's gonna be sore in the morning. No, no, wait, he's bleeding an awful lot. He's probably gonna be dead."

"Kabuto," Miss Compress said, walking around the truck with the others. "Open it, if you please?"

"On it," Kabuto said. His entire body was covered with a hard, crimso beetle-shell, and a massive horn extended from his head. He jammed that into the door of the trailer then jerked his neck, tearing it off. "Gimme a hard one next time!"

Inside the trailer was what looked like a metal coffin, a shiny tube with a glass top. But if what their leader had said was true (and he had yet to lead them astray), then what was inside it was extremely important to their goals.

"…I thought it'd be bigger," Rei said after a moment. "Guess it's true what they say about size not mattering, eh? Eh?" She nudged Amp with her elbow.

Amp gave her a disgusted look. "You really don't have an off switch, do you?"

"Nope!"

Kabuto flared his wings once and hopped into the trailer, retrieving the tube and bringing it outside. "Heavy enough," he said. He looked through the glass at what was inside. "Ugly son of a gun, though."

Compress nodded. "Well, let's dispose of the evidence then, _dahlings_" she said. She pointed at the truck and the air around it seemed to shimmer as she applied her Quick: Compaction. In an instant, the semi and its trailer were crushed into a tiny cube, no more than eight centimeters a side. She picked it up and slipped it into the pocket of her coat. Rei didn't pretend to understand how that all worked, but she was pretty sure it violated several of the laws of physics.

Of course, she never studied law.

"Not much we can do about the body," Compress said, "but we'll manage. No cameras, no GPS, just a dead body on a back road. They'll connect it eventually… but we'll be long gone by then. Let's get the hell out of here. A shame they thought this so secret so as to not assign any Heroes to guard it. I'd have enjoyed a good scuffle."

As if on cue, their ride, an all-black semi being driven by Overdrive, snapped onto the road. They loaded up. They got the hell of out there, one frozen Nomu corpse richer.

Rei put her feet up on the table, sinking lower on the sofa, as she slurped soba noodles from a bowl.

"I see you managed to get in again, Rei," a tired voice from behind her said. "How _do_ you manage to keep getting past the security system?"

Rei looked over her shoulder at the older white haired woman in the doorway. It was late and she honestly hadn't meant to wake her. She'd just meant to stop by, make sure she was all right, and raid the fridge. "I gots mad skills, Grandma."

It actually hadn't been that hard. For all the vaunted high tech security systems the rich and famous employed, there were plenty of ways around them if you knew what you were doing. And Rei definitely knew what she was doing.

Her grandma—Rei Todoroki—just shook her head. "You can't keep doing this. Sooner or later, Shoto or Momo is going to catch you… I shouldn't even be talking to you. You… you're a murderer… up to who knows what…"

Some small pang of guilt stabbed its way through Rei's heart. She didn't want to cause her grandma any pain, but how else was she supposed to see her? She knew her namesake had had a hard life and suffered greatly at the hands of her grandfather. But she now lived a peaceful life with Rei's Uncle Shoto and Aunt Momo, on their sprawling estate.

"Missed you, Grandma."

Rei liked to drop in when she could. Her dad would have wanted that. And as far as she knew, her grandma never did tell anyone when she was here. She appreciated that, even though she knew it must have cost her something fierce.

Her grandma came around and joined her on the couch. "You look so much like him, you know," she said, gently touching Rei's face.

"You say that every time," Rei said.

"It's true," Grandma said. "You've got a lot of Toya in you in other ways too, of course. Not the least of which is your stubbornness. Or how we all failed you."

"Grandma…"

"You know your father turned on his League allies when he found out your mother was pregnant. He did that for you, Rei. He believed in their cause, hated your grandfather so much. But he wanted you to have a normal life, a life he didn't get. Fuyumi and Tensei were going to adopt you. No one expected your mother to recover from giving birth so quickly… let alone manage to escape from prison with you. We should have looked harder, but that woman was tricky like a snake."

Rei gave her grandma a smile. She'd been told by many, many people that her smile was _not_ reassuring, but she did it anyway. "Aw, Grandma. It all worked out! I'm living my best life, big plans and everything!"

She slurped more of her noodles. "Mom says hi, by the way."

Her grandma's lips pressed into a thin line. "I'm sure she does," she said. "By all means, tell her hello from me."

Rei had always suspected Grandma didn't particularly care for Mom. She couldn't figure out why. Mom was such a happy person! Sure, there was the whole "unwed mother" thing, but she did her best! Why, even now, she was probably out murdering some poor schmuck who deserved it, all while rocking her heels and pearls!

Rei slurped up the last of her noodles, sat up, and set her bowl on the table. "Well, this has been fun, Grandma, but I gotta get going. Big plans, gonna change the world, blah blah blah, you know how it is."

She gave Grandma a little peck on the cheek.

"No chance of you turning yourself in?" Grandma asked. "I'm certain, given your upbringing, we could argue for leniency."

"What about my upbringing? The most awesomest childhood ever?" Rei said. "You're funny, Grandma!" She stood. "Don't worry. I'll go out the back way. They'll never even know I was here!"

"I suppose they won't," Grandma said.

Rei pouted as she headed for the door. "You're not gonna tell on me, are you, Grandma?"

Grandma shook her head. "I won't. Your father visited me from time to time too, when I was in the hospital. Maybe I shouldn't have kept his secret… maybe I shouldn't keep yours. I suppose I just want all my family to be safe."

"Don't worry!" Rei assured her. "I ain't been caught yet!"

"I know, dear. That's what worries me."

She just gave Grandma a little wave as she headed out the door. It was so nice to catch up with family! Maybe she ought to drop in on Mom soon, see how she was getting on… Or she could check up on her cousins, even her little zippy cousins-in-law! It really had been too long since she'd seen Izzy and she never had actually spoken to any of them…

So long as she could fit it in around the League's plans. There were plenty of things afoot, after all…


	29. Chapter 25: Toshi Prepares to Sport

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 25: Toshi Midoriya—Boyfriend, Student, Personal Trainer, Wingman**

Toshi's hair was still slightly damp as he entered the Common Room. He'd started the morning early, as he always did, gone for his morning run with Katsumi and Kana Tetsutetsu, then returned to the dorm for a shower and then breakfast. Tetsutetsu had been asking a lot of questions about Haimawari, which he'd answered as best he could, though he really wasn't sure what was up with that. Ah well, if it was important, he'd probably figure it out.

The TV was on and he could see that Izumi and Askuka were watching it. He could hear a little of it. _"…truck driver found dead this morning, appears to have been murdered sometime last night with no sign of his truck. Local police are being tight lipped and have not yet named any suspects. However, the driver did work for a shipping company with numerous government contracts…"_

Well, that was a little weird. But before he could think any more about it, he was interrupted by arms wrapping around him from behind and the feeling of something—no, two somethings—very large, very soft, and very warm pressing into his back. "Good morning, Toshi!"

_We're sorry, Toshi dot exe has failed and cannot respond at this time. Please try again later_.

It had only been a week, but he still couldn't believe that Sora Iida liked him. _Liked him _liked him. Enough that last Sunday she'd accosted him when he'd gotten back from his morning run to confess. And, well, she was pretty and excitable and smart and all kinds of amazing things and he was pretty sure he liked her too. They were young and figuring this kind of stuff out was what life was all about.

He didn't know if she was getting advice from Mika Mineta or if this was just her usual lack of regard for personal space amped up now that they were dating, but he was pretty sure only an idiot would complain about it. Even if she seemed to be moving kind of fast. Sora was… really physically demonstrative. And he wasn't sure he should be complaining about that, but still, fast.

…He really needed relationship advice, but he was also pretty sure, based on the stories of them in school, that Mom and Dad were not the ones to give it, nor Uncle Shoto and Aunt Momo, or Uncles Kacchan and Eijiro.

Aunt Mina had always said that any of them could come to her with relationship advice too, but he was pretty sure that was a really bad idea. Maybe Aunt Tsu? She was definitely the most sensible person in his parents' class that he knew…

Sora gave him another squeeze. He gave her hand a squeeze, before she relaxed her grip and let him turn around. She was taller than him by several inches, only slightly shorter only than Daisuke Shoji and Akaya Koda. It puts him at an… interesting level in comparison to her.

Toshi grined. "Good morning, Sora." He frowned, though, when he saw the bags under her eyes, in spite of seemingly brimming with energy. "How much coffee have you had?"

"Just three…ish cups?" she tried, hesitating as she sees his eyes narrow. "…From the big mug."

"Sora," he said, "we talked about this. Coffee isn't a substitute for sleep."

She crossed her arms and huffed. "And I'm just supposed to let all my good ideas go to waste!?"

"If it's a good idea at 2300, it'll be a good idea at 0800."

"Now you sound like Father," Sora said, waving her arms dramatically through the air. He had to take a step back to avoid getting clocked in the head. "That is not proper boyfriend soundings!"

Toshi held up both hands in a pacifying gesture. "Okay, okay, okay," he said. "No dad-ing at you. I promise. Just… maybe ease off the coffee, okay? I can't boyfriend if you're so exhausted you can't think."

"…Your statement is not without logic," Sora admitted. "I will have to incorporate these new variables!"

How did Uncle Tenya handle Aunt Mei?! Toshi was in way over his head here!

"All right," Mister Aizawa said, "settle down. Before we begin today's lessons, we have something important to discuss. The Sports Festival and the work-study week that follows."

Toshi stole a moment to glance at the back row of the classroom, where Haimawari sat. He'd been talking his friend up to his dad fairly frequently now, telling him about his drive and his amazing Quirk. With no heroic background and so many second (or greater) generation students in this year's crop of first year students, Toshi knew that most eyes would be on people with proven legacies and not newcomers to the field. Haimawari was a good guy and deserved whatever kind of leg up he could get. It didn't hurt that he was _exactly_ the kind of person Dad almost always picked.

Toshi just hoped the shock didn't kill him when it happened.

"We've had heroic legacies in the Sports Festival before," Aizawa went on. "But this is the first year where we have classes primarily composed of the children of active Pro-Heroes, including the majority of the Top Ten. Combine that with the uncertainty surrounding the Quirk Virus situation… needless to say, the eyes of the world will be on this Sports Festival more than any other."

He fixed the class with an icy glare, his eyes going red and his hair rising above his head. "I am certain your parents are planning something. I've already forbidden them from extending offers to their own children, so don't think you're going to coast by. But knowing them, they've already made arrangements to exploit the loophole in that. However, as your teacher, I have final veto power over whatever offers you may receive."

His eyes narrowed and he blinked, his hair falling back into place. "If I catch _any_ of you at the Sports Festival performing at _anything_ less than your best, I will see all offers extended to you declared null and void. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Mister Aizawa," Toshi mouthed, along with the rest of the class.

Aizawa seemed satisfied with that, nodding slightly. He briefly looked down at the lectern to consult a piece of paper. "Doc Clock has also asked me to pass on the message that if any of you try anything like what Deku or Shoto did at your parents' first Sports Festival, she will refuse to use her Quirk on you and instead leave you to Recovery Girl's care."

A small smile of paternal pride traced its way across his face.

As for the Festival itself, Toshi wasn't worried. He was good with his Quirk, though he knew he could be better. But that pretty much applied to everybody in the class. Of course, the variable nature of the first two round made things a little more complicated and there was always the possibility of something new that had never been seen before at a Festival… But there was no sense in getting worked up about it.

No, if anything, it was the Tournament Round that concerned him the most. What if he had to fight somebody from the class? So many of them were his friends, practically his family. He wasn't sure he could really go all out fighting them.

What if he had to fight Sora?!

Two weeks. That's what they had to get ready for the Sports Festival. And Toshi was bound and determined to make the most of it. With Heroics Class replaced by free-training periods for those two weeks, they had plenty of opportunity. The chance to show his parents, show the world, just how good he could be.

Despite having a dad who was the Number One Hero and a mom who usually ranked somewhere in the high thirties, Toshi did not consider himself as having to escape from their shadow. He'd known, almost from the moment he'd decided to be a Hero, that there would be plenty of people who'd think of him as nothing more than Deku's kid. And Dad, as the Symbol of Hope, was a standard no one could hope to match up to, even if he'd always said that had never been his itention. They could only do like he did, and follow Dad's example, and give it his best.

Toshi probably wasn't going to be the next Number One Hero (that was _probably_ going to be Dad's protégé, Tamaki Togata)… but he was going to be the best Hero that he could. And he was going to help his friends be the best that they could be too.

Which was why he'd taken some time to help Haimawari and Shota, in one of the dojo-style training gyms. Both of them had great Quirks… but neither was the best physical fighter in the world. Haimawari relied on speed and zooming around, while Shota tended to rely on the raw power of his Quirk when fighting. Nejire had also managed to take Haimawari out rather quickly when she and the Laughing Man had attacked them during training, though that might have been from the speed and surprise as much as anything else. Either way, he knew Haimawari was a bit embarrassed by how quickly he'd gone down.

Toshi got that. He was used to using his Quirk to bounce around, rapidly shifting from low to high gravity to bounce around and then hit like a freight train. But he also knew how to fight without it. Straight up brawling techniques from Dad, Gunhead-Style martial arts moves from Mom.

He brought up a hand, palm up, and moved his fingers in a "come and get me" gesture. "Okay, guys," he said. "Two of you against one of me. No Quirks. Let's do this."

Haimawari rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "If you say so, Midoriya…"

"Kaaaai-yaah!" Shota let out a non-supersonic scream and rushed him. Toshi easily sidestepped his purple-haired friend and gave him a small shove, knocking him down to the mats.

Haimawari was slightly more cautious, throwing a few careful punches that seemed more designed to test him that to actually connect. With his long arms and legs, Haimawari actually had pretty decent range. If he could get a little power going behind them, he'd be pretty effective.

Toshi tossed off a jab of his own, probing Haimawari's defenses. He missed and Haimawari actually managed to hit him, striking him in the face with a blow.

He instantly pulled back, even as Toshi was seeing stars. "Oh, oh, no, Midoriya, I didn't mean…"

Toshi just laughed. His opinion of Haimawari as a fighter obviously needed revising. "Why didn't you _tell me_ you could hit like that?"

"That was awesome!" Shota piped in, none the worse for wear in body or spirit from his tumble. "Only people I've seen hit Toshi like that are Kirishima-Bakugo and Tetsutetsu!"

Haimawari looked a bit embarrassed, chuckling nervously. "It's nothing, just something my dad taught me, that his mentor taught him. From, ah, from when he was doing a neighborhood watch kind of thing."

Something about the way he said that made Toshi think there was more to the story, but he didn't really want to press it. It wasn't like he wasn't privy to secrets that he wasn't allowed to share.

"Seriously, though," Toshi said. "I thought you said you didn't know how to fight without your Quirk."

Haimawari laughed nervously again. "More like… I don't want to? I don't like the idea of hurting people, especially for something just like showing off like the Sports Festival. Guess what I really need is psyching up."

Toshi punched the palm of his other hand. "Okay, mental conditioning. We can work on that."

He looked over at Shota. "You… on the other hand…"

Shota looked a little embarrassed. "Yeah… I might need a little more help. Dad says it wasn't until Uncle Shota started mentoring him that he really got any kind of good at fighting."

"Well," Toshi said, "I'm no Eraserhead, but I'll do my best…"

Fortunately, it got better from there. Haimawari _was_ better than he'd expected going in, even after that first punch. There was a lot of wildness to his punches and kicks, but even without his Quirk, he was fast and had plenty of reach. If he combined that with his Quirk, getting in a few hits and then getting away, and repeating that, he'd do great against anyone with a short range Quirk.

Getting Shota to actually think about his moves before going all in was really the hard part, and once he got past that, it wasn't too bad. He wasn't going to be as good a fighter as Uncle Hitoshi was, but at least he wouldn't be breaking his hand if he punched somebody at the Sports Festival. And they still had two weeks.

Shota was bent over, hands on his legs, struggling to breathe. "I'm okay… I'm okay… I'm pretty sure I'm okay… The room was always spinning, right?"

"Take it easy, dude," Haimawari said, guiding him over to one of the benches and helping him sit down. He got Shota's water bottle and handed it to him.

"Small sips, Shota," Toshi told him. "Don't overdo it. You'll just throw up."

Shota reluctantly complied; Toshi could tell he'd been ready to guzzle it. "This… gets… easier, right?" he gasped.

Toshi nodded. "Eventually. We'll try and do a little endurance work too."

"Don't know if I've said it, but I really do appreciate this, Midoriya," Haimawari said, taking a drink of his own water. He was sweating and breathing hard, but not nearly as badly as Shota. He was actually in pretty decent shape, probably because his Quirk was more of a physical one. But he was built like a runner, not a brawler, so what he could do was a little different than what Toshi could

"Happy to help," Toshi replied. "We're all in this together, after all."

"Not worried I'll take your spot at the Festival? Me and Dad watch it every year… it gets pretty competitive."

Toshi waved it off. "Nah. I'm gonna do my best, you're gonna do your best, that's all that really matters."

"How _do_ you think it's gonna go, Toshi?" Shota asked, no longer panting. He looked a healthier color too. "I bet you're gonna win it! I mean, Uncle Deku did his second year and third year, and he's your dad, so he probably taught you everything, even if your Quirks are kinda different, and…"

"I really don't know, Shota," Toshi said, a little bit quickly. Sometimes, you had to fight to get a word in edgewise with Shota. "Everybody's got really great Quirks, not just us, but in the other classes too. And there's always a surprise or two in the General Studies classes. Especially since we don't know what the first two events will be."

The first event was usually something that required covering distance and the second was always one that required teams, but that was about the only parameters that could be guessed. Toshi had seen everything from obstacle courses in the first to Quirk-backed games of dodgeball in the second and there wasn't much predictable pattern to it.

He held out his hand, pam to the ground. "But when it does, we're gonna be ready for it, right?"

Haimawari put his hand over Toshi's. "Right."

Shota did the same. "Right!"

"You three done nerding it up yet?" a voice from behind asked. Toshi turned to see Katsumi and Kana Tetsutetsu.

"I have yet to reach maximum nerd," Toshi said, smirking. There'd been no malice in what she'd said. Katsumi just had to give everyone a hard time. It was just who she was. "Hey Tetsutetsu."

"Hey yourself, Midoriya," Tetsutetsu said.

"Yeah, yeah," Katsumi said. "Well, make yourself useful and come show me some of those moves Aunt Ochaco taught you. Bring the Loud Kid too."

"Shota. My name is Shota. Shota Shinso. You know that, Kirishima-Bakugo!"

"Sure it is," Katsumi said. "C'mon."

Okay, something was clearly up. He and Katsumi sparred sometimes, but she never just flat out asked him to show her any moves. Did this have anything to do with what Tetsutetsu been asking about this morning? Was… was Katsumi being her wingwoman? For Haimawari?

This was a day for the record books.

"Yeah, sure, I can do that," he said. "C'mon, Shota."

Shota, however, clearly wasn't picking up on the subtext. "I don't think I can fight anymore, Toshi," he said, stifling a yawn.

"Then watch and learn, Loud Kid!" Katsumi shouted.

"Why don't you come along," Toshi said. He might as well play along with this. If only to get Katsumi out of having to play wingwoman any further. Besides, if she got in her way through cluelessness, she might kill Shota. "Tetsutetsu, don't think you've met Haimawari? You could probably show him some moves I can't."

"'Probably'?" Tetsutetsu asked. "You know I can, Midoriya. Nice to meet you, Haimawari."

"Likewise," Haimawari said, smiling. He looked like he knew something was up, but couldn't figure it out. He offered Tetsutetsu a hand and she shook it, leaving him massaging his fingers afterwards.

Just a couple weeks into school and everybody was jumping into relationships. He was hardly one to talk, of course, but it still amazed him. Especially for all of them that had known each other for most of their lives. But here, away from their parents for the first time, maybe they were just figuring out who they wanted to be.

"Watch and learn, Loud Kid," Katsumi said. She bounced lightly on the balls of her feet, hands up in a fighting position, before launching a powerful right hook. It was her signature move and she always telegraphed it. Toshi'd also been on the receiving end of it many times when sparring with her. Even when you could see it coming, Katsumi was fast and hit like a truck.

Fortunately, he had time to dodge, and return fire, coming at Katsumi with a few quick jabs. She got her guard up though, deflecting his blows easily. "Gonna have to do better than that, Toshi," she said, with a wicked grin.

Toshi dropped low, sweeping his leg. He knocked Katsumi down, but she was right back up before he could capitalize on it. He dodged her return strikes, shifting left and right rapidly. "Didn't take you for the type to play wingwoman," he said.

He blocked her next strike and even that stung like hell. "All I did was get you two out of the way," she replied. "I wanted to spar with you anyway. Kana's my friend. If I can help her out, I can put up with a little lovey-dovey nonsense. What she seems in him, I dunno."

Toshi knew she'd been turned down by Izumi after confessing her long buried feeling. They'd confessed that much to him. That had to have hurt some, but she seemed to be plowing through it in her usual fashion. Which for her meant not dealing with her more complicated emotions. Which probably wasn't healthy. But all he could do was be there for his friend.

His friend who'd nearly taken his head off with her follow-up punch! He got his head out of the way, but she connected solidly with his shoulder. He grunted, firing off rapid fire punches in return that she deflected, until he altered his pattern, two right hand blows one after the other instead of a left and a right and felt his fist connect solidly with her chest.

Katsumi winced and backed off, keeping herself light on her feet. Laughing, she said, "Did you just bunch me in the boob, Toshi? What would your girlfriend say?"

Toshi's eyes went wide for a second, before he recovered. "Very funny," he said. Typical Katsumi, always trying to get a rise out of him.

They exchanged more blows, hammering away, deflecting, retreating, and coming back at each other. But without Quirks, they were just too evenly matched with each other for there to be a clear victor. Katsumi was probably stronger, but he was just lighter enough on his feet to make up for it. With both of them realizing that, they took a step back and exchanged boys.

Shota broke into applause. "That. Was. _**AWESOME**_! You gotta show me how to do that!"

Katsumi just laughed. It wasn't a cruel laugh, but he could tell she didn't really believe Shota had much of a chance in a physical contest. "Stick to what you're good at, Loud Kid. Scream your way through."

An idea occurred to Toshi and he had to turn away for a moment to hide his grin. "I don't know, Katsumi, I was going to get Shota up to speed anyway, but if you don't think you can train him good enough, I guess I'll have to do it…"

The glare she shot him was worth it. "Oh, hell no. I didn't say I didn't think I could." She snapped her fingers, then pointed at Shota. "I'm gonna train you until your arms fall off, Loud Kid! That'll show you, Toshi!"

Toshi had to hide his grin again. Shota would get the training he needed and Katsumi would have a goal she could work on to keep from dwelling on things. If you knew what you were doing, helping your friends wasn't too hard.

And he was going to do his best to make sure every one of his friends had a chance to shine.


	30. Chapt26 Izumi and the Big Friendly Giant

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 26: Izumi Todoroki and the Big Friendly Giant**

One of the regular chores Class 1-A had was to keep the dorm panty and refrigerator stocked. Of course, some maintained their own personal supplies of foods, such as Toshi's protein bars or the teas that Izumi herself preferred, but they also kept a number of communal essentials. As such, regular trips to the store for groceries was required. This was nominally a task given to two students, selected from their chore rota.

By happenstance, this week the job fell to Chihiro Kaminari and Mika Mineta. However, prior to their leaving after spending the afternoon in training, Mister Aizawa had pulled Izumi aside and asked her to accompany them. He did not, to use his words, "trust them not to trade the grocery money for magic beans." Izumi thought this characterization a bit unfair. Chihiro tried very hard, despite occasionally making rather poor choices. Granted, those choices were often to listen to whatever scheme Mineta had come up with, but she supposed that Mineta could be quite convincing when she wished to.

The grocery store was… a unique experience. It was Izumi's first time in one, as her parents most often had their food delivered or otherwise dispatched some of the household servants to shop. Or at least she was reasonably certain it was delivered. Certainly, more food appeared in the refrigerators, freezers, and pantry at regular intervals, though she had never personally seen it arrive. She _had_ occasionally accompanied her mother to the Donki-Oote, which apparently had "the best bargains on the planet." They would return with dozens of shopping bags and her father would simply regard it all with a small, possibly disappointed sigh. But that was a store where every square inch was filled with merchandise, all of it there to temp to you. The grocery store, at least, seemed somewhat more logical.

Currently, Chihiro was pushing the shopping cart through the frozen foods aisle, as Izumi consulted the shopping list they had been presented with. Mineta walked behind them, her hooves clicking on the tiles rhythmically. "Are we done yet?" she asked, whining. "This place is boring and packed with grannies. There aren't even any hot guys or girls!"

"We are about halfway through the list," Izumi told her, without looking back.

"Relax, Mika," Chihiro said, looking over her shoulder. "We'll stop by the magazine rack on our way out and you can get a copy of _Teen Hero Beat_. It's the issue where they rank the hottest up and coming Heroes."

"Wait, that's this week?!"

"How do you not know this?" Chihiro asked. "Don't you have, like, charts and calendars for everything even remotely sexy?"

"It's been a busy week!"

The banter between the two easy and light, and Izumi envied it. So different and less formal than what she had Chihiro had as friends, even though she was certain it was no less a friendship. But friendships and people did not come easily to Izumi, not with Chihiro, not with Toshi and the others, not even with Katsumi, who she counted as her dearest friend in all the world. People were strange and complicated and she did not always understand.

The _clip-clop_ of Mineta's horns suddenly stopped and Izumi and Chihiro to see Mika transfixed by something in one of the freezer cases, which she grabbed and then proceeded to run up to them, excitedly. "We _have_ to get this," she said, cradling the box to her chest.

"Is it on the list?" Izumi asked.

Mineta looked down and away. "Does it need to be?"

"Yes," she replied. "We've been given limited funds and cannot go over the budget. The list is very specific."

Mineta looked like she was going to cry, her big purple eyes getting watery. "But I neeeeeed it!" What on Earth could possibly have been that important? Especially here in frozen foods?

Chihiro let out an exasperated sigh. She crossed her arms and pointed one of her Cords at her friend. "Mika, what is it?"

Slowly, Mineta turned the box around so that they could see it. It was red and green and decorated with a cartoon apple with arms and a face. The apple appeared to be proudly presenting some kind of green… icicle?

"They're frozen apple pops!" Mineta said, excitedly. "I haven't seen these since the last time I was in America! I didn't even know they _made_ these here! They're so good!"

Izumi honestly didn't know how to respond to that, but Chihiro burst out laughing. "_That_'s what's got you so excited, Mika? Apple-flavored popsicles?"

Mineta pouted. "They're so much more than that. Granny used to buy them for me when we'd visit! They taste like… like... freedom!"

Perhaps these were the "magic beans" Aizawa had been referring to.

"You're ridiculous, Mika," Chihiro said, Cords drooping. "They'd probably melt by the time we got everything back anyway."

"_Hello_, we have our own built in ice maker!" Mineta said, pointing a finger at Izumi.

"Why do you not just buy them for yourself, Mineta?" Izumi asked. "I would still be happy to keep them cold if you did."

Mineta looked down. "I didn't bring that much money. If I buy these, I can't buy the magazine I want."

"Are they expensive?" Izumi asked. "They couldn't possibly cost more than ¥2000?"

This time, both girls laughed. Why, she did not know. For a brief moment, she flashed back to her younger days in school and the merciless teasing because she was so sickly and frail. "Did I… say something funny?"

"Sorry," Chihiro said, hanging on the cart for support. "I know we're all pretty well off, but I forget that you're, like, a whole other level of rich."

"You've basically got all the money, Todoroki," Mineta added.

It was true her family was very rich. The Yaoyorozu fortune combined with Todoroki money had made her family one of the wealthiest in Japan, if not the world. She tried not to take it for granted, but admitted there was much she probably did not understand.

"Then perhaps I should purchase this treasure," Izumi said. "So long as you plan to share." There was little harm in it. And it seemed to make Mineta happy. Which also had the long-term benefit of likely keeping her out of trouble.

"Oh, thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!" Mineta threw her arms around Izumi and hugged her tight. "You're the best, Torodoki!"

"Mika!" Chihiro said. "Let her go so she can breathe!"

"Eeek!" Mineta said, as she released her. "Sorry!"

Izumi sucked in a few breaths. "It is fine," she said, then nodded. "Shall we continue?"

Mineta deposited her treat in the cart with the rest of the food and they continued on.

As she rounded the corner, Izumi impacted with a human shaped wall.

"Oh!" Izumu called out, trying to steady herself and regain her balance. "I am so sorry…" She looked up at the person she had bumped into. And up. And _up_.

They were tall, easily over two meters, broad-chested, with sandy brown hair, buzzed on one side. "Oh, forgive me, I wasn't looking…!" he said, and then his eyes fell on Izumi.

Instantly, his face broke into a broad grin. "Izzy!" He scooped Izzy up into his arms, holding her close as he spun her around. In spite of herself, she couldn't help but let out a rather girlish giggle.

"Shinji," she said, through her laugher, "Shinji, I am getting dizzy!"

Shinji Yoarashi simply laughed a great booming laugh as he put her down. "Sorry, I got carried away!" he said, though perhaps bellowed was the better term. One had to adjust for volume where Shinji was concerned. "Holy hurricanes! I haven't seen you in forever, Izzy! How have you been?! And Shota? And Katsumi?"

"I have been well," Izumi told him. "U.A. is challenging, but I am confident in my ability to succeed. Shota and Katsumi are also doing well. And you?"

"Shiketsu High, of course! Have to stand for Dad's old school! Rigorous! Intense! Challenging!" He struck a dynamic pose as he spoke.

"What are you doing here, then?" she asked. "That is on the other side of Japan."

"A few of us from my class are staying at a hotel in the city," Shinji explained. "Our rescue training facility is undergoing repairs, so your school offered us the USJ to train this week. I came here to pick up a few snacks, but seem to have gotten turned around."

"This place can be very confusing," she agreed.

To the side, she saw Mineta elbow Chihiro. "…Did you know Todoroki knew somebody that hot?"

Chihiro shrugged. "I… think I've seen some pictures of him and Izumi with Shinso and Kirishima-Bakugo, maybe met him… once, twice? When we were little and Izumi was sick. But not in a long time. Which I'm now regretting."

"Okay, in that case, I forgive you for not telling me about him."

"You can't forgive me for not telling you something I barely knew!"

"Fine, then I won't forgive you!"

"Ugh! Why are you like this?"

"I'm charming and you know it!"

"Yeah, well, I saw him fist!"

"I totally called dibs!"

"You did not!"

Izumi's eyes felt like ping-pong balls as she followed the argument back and forth. "Friends of yours, Izzy?" Shinji asked, chuckling.

Where were her manners? "Yes," she said. "These are Chihiro Kaminari and Mika Mineta. Chihiro, Mineta, this is an old friend of mine, Shinji Yoarashi."

Shinji was, of course, the son of her father's friend, Inasa Yorashi, the hero known as Gale Force, and like his father, he commanded the winds. Though she did occasionally wonder if the friendship was a bit one-sided. Certainly, Mister Yorashi seemed happier to see her father than her father was to see him at times, but that may have simply been attributable to their personalities. Her father was quite reserved and the Yorashis were… not.

Shinji took a deep bow. "A pleasure to meet you, ladies! Any friends of Izzy are friends of mine!"

Mineta gave Chihiro a slight shove back, stepping closer to Shinji. Even considering her hooved-feet, she was walking somewhat strangely, in a manner that exaggerated the movement of her hips. She stopped when she got closer to Shinji and thrust her chest out.

"Well, aren't you a fine hunk of a man," Mineta said, looking him up and down. "You see anything you like, Big Boy?"

Was this… flirting? Mineta did that kind of thing so often, it was difficult to tell. Izumi didn't claim to understand her at all, though Chihiro often insisted she wasn't quite as bad as she acted. Izumi could admit, however, that Shinji was very aesthetically pleasing.

"Mineta," she began softly, "I don't think you…"

And then, to her surprise, Shinji reacted to Mineta in a way she had never seen anyone do before. He _smiled_, his eyes dancing over her form. "Suffering Cyclones!" he said. "You are _hot_! I see quite a bit that I like!"

Mineta suddenly froze where she stood, unmoving. Shinji waved a hand in front of her face. "Is she all right?" he asked.

"I think," Chihiro said, "I think you broke her. She's never had to think this far ahead before." She prodded Mineta with her left Cord, before giving her a small shock.

Mineta let out a small cry of surprise. "Sorry," she said, "went away for a little while there. Got distracted by the hotness." She pulled out her phone. "I'm gonna need your contact details. Because I think we've got a kindred spirit thing going on here."

"I would be happy to give you my number!" Shinji said. "I must say, I am impressed by your forwardness!"

Izumi felt a slight tug on her arm and turned to see that Chihiro had returned to the cart. "Might as well let finish up," she said. "I get the feeling they're gonna be a while." She rolled her eyes. "I think she's finally met her match."

Izumi allowed herself to be tugged along. It was rude to leave without saying anything, but given how deep in conversation they were, she doubted the two would have noticed their absence.

"So, seriously, Izumi," Chihiro said, as she put a couple of boxes of pasta into the cart, "you and the big guy, you got history?"

Izumi nodded. "We're very good friends, Chihiro. Shinji and I go back quite far. You and he simply never had the opportunity to meet. Shota and Katsumi know him well though."

Her friend nodded. "I can see him and Shinso getting along real well. Kirishima-Bakugo… probably not so much."

That did get a small chuckle out of her. "Well…" she admitted. "Katsumi is who she is and Shinji is who he is. Though she has threatened to explode him on more than one occasion. Especially after one of his surprise hugs."

"This is my completely not surprised face," Chihiro said. "You two ever, ah, date?"

She shook her head. "He took me to a middle school dance once, but that is all."

"Guess that's all right," Chihiro said. "But that is one fantastic looking guy. And if it doesn't work out with him and Mika, you'll give me his number, right?"

"I do not see why not." Izumi was grateful for the lack of further follow-up questions on the dating issue. Though she had confessed her lack of sexual or romantic attraction to Katsumi not long ago, it was not a conversation she wished to have again and again with her friends. She was not ashamed, nor did she feel the need to hide it, but neither did she feel the need to lay herself bare like that in front of everyone at any moment.

Still, Shinji did make her smile. Where Katsumi was her dearest friend and her protector, Shinji had always been the one to make her laugh, to make her smile. Whether that was spinning through the air like a tornado, taking her for a flight around the backyard, or telling her of the adventures they'd one day have as Heroes, he always tried to buoy her spirits. Like Katsumi, he was loud and his own variety of explosive. But where hers was often born of anger, his was born of amusement and excitement, quick with a laugh and cheer.

When she was small and did not yet understand the concepts of attraction or infatuation (not that she could truly say she understood them now), she had understood that marriage was something you did when you found someone you always wanted to spent time with. She had thought she might marry him. That had passed, but he was still a dear, dear friend.

Chihiro added a couple of jars of pasta sauce to the cart, then resumed pushing it. Izzy checked off the items on the list. "It looks like we still need coffee and some vegetables," she said. "And Katsumi has requested peppers."

Chihiro went a little pale. "She's gonna make Inferno Curry again, isn't she?"

"I've never really understood that name," Izumi said. "It's really not that hot."

Extension Cords pointed sharply at Izumi as Chihiro spoke. "You self-regulate your own temperature. You don't get to decide what is or isn't hot. Or cold for that matter. Learned that one before. Never challenging you to an ice cream eating contest again."

At that, Izumi smiled. "The stomach ache was still worth it though."

"…yeah, it was."

"Hey!" Mineta's voice rang out from behind them. "Look how strong he is!"

Izumi turned and found that Mineta was sitting on Shinji's shoulder, supported by his bicep as they walked up behind them. Shinji, for his part, didn't seem to be showing any strain. She wasn't surprised; he'd always been quite strong, one of the few people without a strength-enhancing Quirk other than Toshi who could successfully arm-wrestle Katsumi.

He set her down. "She didn't think I could do it!" Shinji said, letting out a laugh. "But I proved her wrong!"

"You sure did, Big Boy," Mineta said, patting a hand against his broad chest. Izumi noticed her hand stayed there for several long seconds.

"Your friend is delightful, Izzy!" Shinji added. Chihiro started to laugh, but stopped herself, ending up coughing instead. "Are you all right?"

"Fine, fine," Chihiro insisted. "I'm fine."

"We're gonna have a lot of groceries," Mineta said. "Think a big, strong guy like you could help us carry them back to the dorm, Yoarashi?"

"I would be delighted to lend my muscles to your cause!"

As they returned to the dorm (securing a pass for Shinji had been easy enough, after the security system had scanned his Shiketsu ID), Izumi reflected that today had been a good day. Spending time in the company of friends, getting out of the school for a little while… she had even shopped at a grocery store! It also meant that had had time not to dwell on the upcoming Sports Festival.

Even two weeks into school, even with having sat out several days for Quirk exhaustion, her stamina had improved by leaps and bounds. She would need to file the proper paperwork for the regulator equipment from her costume, but if she could use that during the Sports Festival, then she believed she would do well enough. Her actions would have to be careful and measured, but that was how she preferred to act anyway. She knew that her parents believed in her, wanted the best for her. But she felt that if she could make a good showing there… maybe they would be a little less worried about her pursuing the path of a Hero.

Maybe she'd worry a little less about it too.

The Common Room was sparsely occupied by the time they entered it. Asuka sat at one of the tables, with Shota, going over some kind of their homework, while Katsumi sat on one of the couches, feet on the coffee table in front of it, one of their literature books in her hands. Everyone else was presumably in their rooms or otherwise occupied.

"We're back!" Mineta called out, as they set their groceries down on the kitchen counters. "And we brought a friend! But don't try hitting on him, because I already called dibs!"

"You hit on everyone, Horse-Girl," Katsumi said, without looking up. "Leave me out of it."

"Katsumi!" Shinji called out.

"Shinji!" Shota piped up, recognizing his friend's voice.

"Shota!" Shinji returned, laughing again.

"Oh, hell, no," Katsumi said. With incredible speed, she launched herself up off the couch and towards the stairs. She was not quick enough, however, to avoid Shinji, who scooped her up in a bear hug.

Shota left Asuka behind to join them. "Me next, do me next!"

"Oh, it is good to see you two!" Shinji boomed. "I have missed you!"

"Me too!" Shota said.

"Put me down, you overgrown whirlwind!" Katsumi said, struggling to break free. "I'll blow you damn head off!"

Shinji put her down, still laughing. "Still as funny as ever, Katsumi!"

"I'll show you funny…"

Izumi quickly decided to intervene. "I think Katsumi has homework to be doing," she said. "Perhaps we should not keep her?"

Katsumi shot her a grateful look. "Yeah, I do. Thanks, Izz. …I'm watching you, Windy." She quickly returned to the table to grab her book and this time successfully made it to the stairs.

"C'mon," Chihiro said. "We need to get these groceries put away. And then we need you to tell us alllll about how you know Kirishima-Bakugo, Yorashi."

"Oh, yeah,this I gotta hear," Mineta added.

All the better Katsumi had beat a rather hasty retreat… if she had stayed, violence would have likely followed. As it was, a little trip down memory lane with a good friend would do no harm. Time to look back, even as they began to look forward.


	31. Chapt 27: Isamu's Got This

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter Twenty-Seven: Isamua Haimawari's Got This**

"Okay," Isamu said to himself, "real easy. Nothing to worry about. You're just trying to get your Quirk to work in a way you've never gotten it to before and you're not sure it actually does. Nothing to worry about. Easy-peasy."

His Quirk, which he shared with his dad, worked on the basis of creating a repulsion field, concentrated in his hands and feet. He mostly used it for sliding around, but he could also use it to adhere to other surfaces or slide over just about anything. It had served him pretty well so far, but if he was going to do well at the Sports Festival, he needed at least one more ace in the hole. He could rush just about anybody, but unless he could build up enough speed, it might not be enough to knock them down. And in a confined area that he had to stay inside, it was even more tricky. Plus, hitting anybody relied on getting close, which wasn't always ideal.

His dad though, he had a trick, a Super-Move really, he called his "Scrappy-Thrust Style." He could concentrate that energy in one hand and expel it outward, like a force beam. He'd tried teaching it to Isamu several times over the years, but he'd never quite been able to get it right. It always fizzled before he could make it work.

Which was why he was using one of the practice target ranges. Students with long range Quirks could use them to practice shooting and aiming without having to worry overmuch about collateral damage or anything else getting in the way. Not as good as live-fire situations, but definitely good for getting a few shots off.

If he could make this work.

Takiyo Aoyama was also using the target range, effortlessly firing off concentrated beams of light that burnt their way through his targets. He made it look easy, practically, dancing from one blast to the next, blue-white laser light zipping from hand to target. He hadn't made any attempt to engage Isamu in conversation and, friendly though he was, he wasn't sure Aoyama was worth bothering with. Guy had an arrogant streak a mile wide. And he had his own problems right now anyway.

"Okay," he said. "You've got this."

Step one, brace his feet. Right foot in front, left foot back. Dad said the kickback on this trick was something intense. With his bad leg, he couldn't even really do it anymore, except for the lowest blast.

Step two, aim. Right palm out, left hand bracing his right arm against the kickback.

Step three, build power. He activated his Quirk, feeling the power flowing through his core, through his limbs, building up in his hands. Just like when he was sliding around, only without going anywhere. Good, good, good… Let it build… Let it build…

And step four, release!

He stared at his hand, trying to will the energy to release. Step four! It was release! Why wasn't it releasing?!

"C'mon…" he said. "Release!"

A faint pop of white-ish light emerged from his palm, fizzling only a couple inches away.

Well… that was more than he'd been able to do so far, right? That had to be some kind of sign of progress. He only had twelve more days to get it right before the Sports Festival. That was plenty of time to unlock and master a portion of his Quirk he'd never successfully used before so that he could use it in a competition that might well determine the future of his career as a Pro Hero. A competition where he'd be up against the kids of some of the best Pro Heroes in the entire country. Who were all already pretty impressively good with their Quirks.

Yep. Just that easy.

Of course, all of that was predicated on the already overly optimistic idea that he was even going to get to the third round of the Sports Festival in the first place. He might do all right in the first event. That was always some kind of race. And even with a couple of classmates who could _fly_, he was still one of the fastest people in the class. But beyond that? He really didn't know.

Which was why he had to keep practicing. So.

Step one, brace your legs…

"I'm never going to get it," Isamu said. He was with Izumi, Shinso, Midoriya, Tokoyami, and Sora Iida, crowded into Toshi's room (which was even more full of Hero posters and merch than his, but not as full as Shinso's) for a study session. Even with the Sports Festival coming up and all the training associated with that, they still had regular school work to deal with. And that, unfortunately, meant a math test on Friday. The study sessions had been Izumi's idea. They were mostly doing well enough in their classes, but combining brainpower was good for all of them. Especially for him. He figured he was probably somewhere midway in the pack in overall grades. Which considering this was U.A., still put him ahead of a lot of other people… but still left him feeling terribly behind.

Iida—who definitely didn't need the help—looked up from the notes she was scribbling. She sat close to Midoriya, practically in his lap. And possibly would have, if not for the slightly stern look Tokoyami had given the two of them. Midoriya had looked pretty embarrassed by it, but Iida had simply slid a small distance from him. He didn't know the Iida Twins as well, but he suspected they were largely immune to shame and traditional boundaries, if the way they'd accosted him on the first day had been any indication.

"What part of the equations are confusing?" she asked. "I can attempt to explain!"

"I don't know if I could follow it, Iida," he replied. He raised a hand high above his head. "You're something like here and I'm," he dropped his hand down to about his shoulder level, "maybe here. On a good day."

"Science is nothing if it is not communicable," Iida replied. "If I cannot explain my processes and results, then I have no business in science at all!"

Modoriya put an arm around her affectionately, giving her a little squeeze. "I don't think he was disparaging your explanation skills, Sora. Just admitting that you've probably got a way better handle on this than the rest of us."

"Yes, well, math is very important," Iida agreed.

"**Important, schmortant," **Frog-Shadow said, suddenly appearing on Tokoyami's shoulder. Isamu jerked, startled by the familiar's sudden appearance. He was never going to get used to that. And he really wasn't sure how Tokoyami's Quirk even worked, considering the green light-being seemed practically alive. **"I'm bored!"**

"Again," Tokoyami said, her green plumage ruffling, "my purpose in life is not to entertain you. Sometimes, I have to do actual work."

"**Booooring!**"

"I just want to know one thing," Shinso said. "If this is math, why are there so many letters in it? I thought math was supposed to be about numbers!"

"Heh." It was a small, quiet laugh, but a laugh all the same. And it had come from Izumi. Everyone turned to stare at her for a moment, before the laughter began to spread, growing in each of them for a moment, and releasing all the tension that came with cramming for a test.

"Oh," Midoriya said, "I meant to ask, Isamu, what happened with you and Tetsutetsu yesterday?"

"What do you mean, Toshi?" Shinso asked. "All they were doing was training. She said she wanted to show him some new moves!"

Frog-Shadow perked up again on Tokoyami's shoulder. **"Oh? Gossip? This just got good!"**

"It either must be very secretive or no secret at all," Izumi said. "Otherwise, I would expect that Ojiro would have already shared it with the masses."

Okay, so maybe he'd had a bit of luck lately after all. Isamu smiled a little. "She, ah, she said she was interested in getting to know me better. Saw me during the Entrance Exam and wanted to know more about me."

"And?" Midoriya asked. "What happened next?"

"I'd be pretty dumb to have turned her down," Isamu said. "I mean, I don't know her well or anything… but she seems nice. So we're gonna try and do something together after the Sports Festival is over. We both want to make sure we're giving it our all first. But we're still gonna text and stuff."

"A smart choice," Izumi said.

"Agreed," Tokoyami added.

"**Boring!**" Frog-Shadow said.

"Well, I'll hope it works out," Midoriya said. "Tetsutetsu's pretty great. And you've obviously got Katsumi's approval if she agreed to help with getting you two alone together."

"Figured she was in on it," he said. "Though I didn't think she was the wingwoman type."

"Katsumi will go far for her friends," Izumi said. "Her bark is much worse than her bite in any case."

"Lots of bark though," Shota said.

"Fair enough."

"Okay," Midoriya said, "let's give these equations another shot and maybe we won't let FireFox down again like after the last test."

"Okay, Isamu… on your mark… get set… go!" he said to himself.

At go, he activated his Quirk, racing forward along the track in a blur, eating up the distance to the first curve quickly. As he headed into the curve, he concentrated, slacking up on the power flowing through his right side and increasing the repulsive force he was sending out his left. Quickly, as he completed the first turn, he balanced the power back out, then applied maximum thrust on the straightaway.

The sudden change in acceleration was like getting a good solid kick in the hindquarters, pushing him as fast as he had ever gone. As he came into the next turn, he had to account for that, first applying his thrust forward to slow down, before powering through it. Another straightaway and another blast of thrust, another turn, and finally a last straightaway before back to his starting point.

He breaked slowly, applying short bursts of reverse thrust as he slacked up on the forward power, skidding to a stop at the starting line. He crouched there, breathing heavily for a moment, before finally standing, slapping his hands against each other to shake some of the dust from his fingers and gloves.

"Okay, what's my time?" he asked the training robot.

Numbers flashed rapidly across the robot's digital-screen chest. "Time to complete 10 kilometers: three point seven minutes. Average speed: 160.934 kilometers per hour."

Huh. Not bad. That was a little faster than he'd expected. All this Hero-training must have actually be paying off. Reflexes were getting better too. He'd managed not to go flying off the track or anything like that. Hitting the turns had taken a lot of concentration, managing his outputs differently, but he'd done it!

"Okay guys," he said to the Iida Twins, who were waiting on the sideline, "your turn."

"Good work, Haimawari," Tensei Iida said, giving him a small nod.

"Keep it up," his sister agreed, "and you might even be as fast as our father one day!"

"If I'm lucky," he said, taking a seat on one of the benches and drinking from his water bottle.

"Ready, Younger Brother?" Sora asked as they took their marks.

"Oh, you must cease with that descriptor! I am only younger by a negligible amount!"

"Nevertheless, it is factually correct!"

"Curse the impartiality of facts!"

"I'll tell you what, Little Brother," Sora said, waving a finger in front of his face. "If you can beat me in this race, I will stop referring to the fact that you are younger."

"And if you win?"

"Then I reserve the right to call you such for all time!"

Tensei considered this, then snapped his fingers. "A desperate gamble! But one with enough probability of success to make it worthwhile! You are on, Sister!"

Both took a moment to prepare, then activated their Quirks, flames flaring from the pipes that sprouted from their backs. They flew low, only a few feet off the ground, but it was an impressive display of their shared Quirk all the same… and an even more impressive burst of speed. He could barely follow it, watching as they rounded the curves, neck and neck, with neither of them gaining an advantage over the other. The only thing he could say for certain was that they were both faster than him.

Slower in the curve, though, he noticed, at least without their costumes and the wings from those. They must have aided in maneuverability. Sora nearly overshot the first turn but corrected, and Tensei nearly went off course in the second. They were definitely better at going in a straight shot.

They definitely took less time than he did, returning to the starting line practically before he could blink, at what seemed to be the same time or so close as to make almost no difference.

"Robot!" Sora called out.

"Report scores! And prove to my sister that she no longer need be overly precise!"

Numbers flashed across the robot's chest again. "Time to complete ten kilometers: one point four-nine minutes. Average speed: 402.336 kilometers per hour."

"But which one of us does that apply to?" Sora demanded.

"Scores are identical," the robot reported.

"What? A draw?!"

"Impossible!" Tensei added. "And yet… the numbers do not lie!"

They shook hands. "It appears neither of us are victorious, Little Brother," Sora said, a smug grin on her face.

"One day, I will surpass you and then you will be forced to cease!"

That their scores were identical was… actually kind of weird, now that Isamu thought about it. He was hardly an expert on Quirks, but even with identical Quirks, there were enough differences between the Twins that something wasn't adding up. Sora was taller but lighter, though he would blushing also admit that she was significantly less than... aerodynamic. By contrast, Tensei was heavier but more streamlined. One or the other definitely should have been faster than the other (though he wasn't sure which and wouldn't be without a lot of math he had no interest in doing). Clearly though, one of them was trying not to outdo the other. It was actually kind of sweet, now that he thought about it.

None of which changed the fact that they were both more than twice as fast as him. It wasn't all about speed, of course, there was skill (where they were probably about equal), intelligence (where they had him beat in spades), and lots of other factors. But he couldn't help but be a little jealous. With all three of them having high-speed mobility Quirks, they were bound to be in competition fairly often.

He was just going to have to keep stepping up his game.

"Good job, guys!" he said. He was happy for them, really. But it just drove home how behind everyone else he was.

Later, Isamu and several of the others were gathered around the television, watching the news. Midoriya and Shinso did so religiously, hoping to get a glimpse of some Hero action not yet reported on the internet or elsewhere. Others came or went, depending upon their own schedules. Today, that was Mineta, Kaminari, and Ojiro. None of whom really seemed like the type, but when he'd asked about it, Ojiro had admitted they were just killing time until the news was over and _Hero-tainment Weekly_ came on with the latest celebrity hero gossip and news. He wished he could say he was surprised, but…

On the plus side, he was actually getting along better with Mineta and Kaminari. Ever since they'd discovered a shared love of music and music-Heroes, the two had seemed much less intimidating. Granted, Mineta still tried hitting on him, but she actually hadn't done that today. Which was really weird.

"So," Mineta said, "you and Kana, huh?"

How did she…? Right, she was friends with Tetsutetsu, that was right. He rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, maybe? We're just talking right now. Supposed to text her later."

"Well, if things get serious… watch out for those teeth. Seriously. Shark-teeth on a girl? That could go south _real_ fast!"

Isamu felt himself go beet red and he sunk lower on the couch.

Kaminari gave her a smack on the back of the head. "Be nice, Mika. Besides, aren't you video chatting with Shinji later?"

"Not for another hour!" But there was a smile on the horned-girl's face.

"_**What**_." Isamu could swear he could feel the glare, even if the glarer was invisible.

Ojiro threw her arms up in the air. Or he assumed she did. It was hard to tell without sleeves, but her body language seemed to suggest it. "Are you two seeing people? How did I not know this? Is the gossip vine finally failing me?" She leaned forward. Wearing a tank top, if she'd been visible, she would have been giving them a pretty good look at her cleavage. As it was, he could see all the way down her top. Which was just… weird. He wasn't sure if it was more awkward or less. What was invisible people etiquette? He didn't know any invisible people before now!

"I. _Need_. _**Details**_!"

"It's really… it's not gossip," he tried, desperately.

Fortunately, Mineta came to his rescue, which was not something he ever thought would happen. She shoved her phone in Ojiro's face. "His name's Shinji Yoarashi! Isn't he hunky? He's one of Todoroki's friends! And she was totally not interested in him! So I'm calling dibs!"

"Guys," Midoriya said, "can this wait? It's back!"

"_In other news, we're less than two weeks away from the annual U.A. Sport's Festival! Of course, U.A. student files are confidential, but it is known that a very large number of Pro-Heroes have children in this year's class and cross-referencing that with the Public Quirk Registry does give us a very good idea of this year's student body, so the Festival is expected to be very spectacular! And, of course, there's the annual speculation on just who current Number One Hero Deku will take on as his intern…"_

"Your dad give you any hints, Midoriya?" Kaminari asked.

Midoriya shook his head. "Even if he did—which he didn't!—he'd have made me promise not to tell. Besides, he's got to watch the thing first!"

"Okay, point."

"You guys are lucky," Isamu said. "You all grew up together. I'm betting your parents are already fighting over you. I'm gonna have to work, like, three times as hard to come close to impressing anyone."

He could swear he saw something flicker in Midoriya's eyes, but it was gone so quickly that he must have been imagining it.

"Maybe," Midoriya said. "Just do your best, Haimawari. The unexpected can always go down at the Festival. And the Pros aren't always just looking for people who place. Sometimes they just get hunches or see something and go with it."

"Yeah," Shinso said. "Remember, I told you? Dad really impressed Uncle Shota at the festival and so he took him under his wing and then he got to be in the Hero course in the second year! You never know what's gonna happen!"

"Who cares about that?!" Ojiro said. "Right now, there's still gossip and I don't have all the details! Haimawari! Are you and Tetsutetsu an item, yes or no? My fans are going to want to know!"

He got up off the couch very, very quickly. "Oh, would you look at the time, gotta go…" He took long, fast steps towards the stairwell door.

Ojiro sprung up off the couch as well. "Get back here, you!"

"Okay," he said. "You've got this."

Step one, brace his feet. Right foot in front, left foot back.

Step two, aim. Right palm out, left hand bracing his right arm against the kickback.

Step three, build power. He activated his Quirk, feeling the power flowing through his core, through his limbs, building up in his hands. Just like when he was sliding around, only without going anywhere. Good, good, good… Let it build… Let it build…

And step four, release!

_KRACKA-POW!_

A massive wave of energy burst from his hand, tearing across the target range and obliterating the target. The kickback was also more than he expected. A _lot_ more. Isamu was thrown off his feet and knocked back into the far wall.

"…ouch," he groaned. But a grin broke out on his face. He'd done it! He'd done it way more than he expected to do it, but he'd done it! Sure, he wasn't sure if he could do it again, and he wasn't sure he could do it less so that he didn't knock himself into something, but he'd done it! Which was more than he'd done yesterday!

Of course, if he did it like that at the Sports Festival, he'd probably knock himself out of the ring. Unless it knocked the other guy out first. Did that count? It probably hadn't come up before.

"You all right?" someone asked. He had to wait for his vision to focus, but he was surprised to see that it was Aoyama. He offered him a hand. "That was a pretty big blast there. First time doing that, _oui_?"

Isamu accepted the hand up, dusting himself off once he was on. He was a bit sore… but nothing seemed broken. "I'm all right, thanks," he said. "Bit more kickback than I expected there."

"I understand," Aoyama said. "My own blasts do that if I go too long between discharging energy. Though I don't think your Quirk works quite like that?"

Isamu shook his head. "Not really. It only builds when I tell it too. Just… trying letting it out in different ways."

"Lucky," the glowing teen said. He tilted his head slightly. "You're trying to stand out at the Festival, aren't you?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"I understand that need as well." Aoyama struck a pose. "Well, I am sure it will pale next to my radiance… but I do wish you the best of luck in coming in second."

Isamu supposed that was as good as he was going to get. Which was more sympathetic that he'd actually expected. "Thanks," he said. "And, ah, good luck to you too."

He took his mark again, planted his feet, and started calling up his Quirk.

"You've got this," he said to himself.

He had this. He _had_ to have this. Because in a class otherwise full of the children of Pro-Heroes (_seven_ of whom were in the Top Ten!), he needed to do whatever he could to stand out.

He felt his energy charging up, ready to exit his hands.

He had this.


	32. Chap28:Sports Festival-Race for the Win!

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Class 1-A and the Sports Festival Part 1: Race for the Win! **_"Gooooood morning, Japan! This is Present Mic, your host with the most, coming at you live from this year's U.A. Sport's Festival First Year Stage! For the twenty-fifth year running, I'm joined by Pro-Hero and Class 1-A Homeroom teacher, Eraserhead! Say hello to the people, Eraser!"_

"_How do I always get talked into this?"_

"_Midnight says she had it written into your contract!"_

"_Hn."_

"_So anything you can tell us about this year's crop of competitors?"_

"_The same thing I say every year. Never underestimate anyone."_

"_Good advice! And here come the first years now…"_

Toshi stood with the rest of his class as the opening ceremony began. Sixteen students in each of the three Hero courses, twenty students in each of the three Support, Business and Management, and General Studies courses for a total of two hundred twenty-eight competitors. Only forty-two of which would get past the first round, and then only sixteen of those forty-two would get to the tournament round. It made for incredibly stiff competition. Though typically, the Business and Support students did not try very hard to get into the other rounds, instead using either Halftime Show or the School Festival to show off their respective talents. Though occasionally, one did make it.

It was the General Studies students you really had to watch out for. While many of them were quite happy with where they were and changes to the Entrance Exam meant people with more diverse Quirks had a better shot at getting into the Hero Course… there were still plenty of them who were eager to move up. And Toshi honestly wished them well. He'd heard Uncle Shinso talk about his own transition to the Hero Course often enough over the years. People should be able to follow their dreams. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to try his hardest to win all the same.

This year's first-year Chief Referee was Riza Arakawa, Hawkeye, their English teacher. From what Grandpa Might had said, they'd had a more narrow body of teachers to select from for the job this year, since three of the teachers—Grandpa Might, Figure Sk8 (the Twins and Izumi's aunt), and Hopper (Asuka's uncle)—were all related to students in the first year and they wanted to avoid any possible implication of impropriety.

She stood on the platform in her costume, which resembled a blue-military uniform, albeit one with a fairly tiny miniskirt, pistols hanging from her hips. She was an intense blonde woman with piercing blue-eyes and a Quirk which granted her super-human accuracy with anything shot or thrown. "And now," Hawkeye said, "the student who scored the highest on the Entrance Exam will now give our opening declaration. Will Kana Tetsutetsu please come to the stage?"

A cheer went up among the Hero Course students, none louder than Katsumi, though Toshi could hear plenty of cheers from Mineta and Koda, as well as the Class 1-B students pretty loudly as well. Toshi himself, along with Katsumi, Izumi, the Iida Twins, and Shiro Monoma had all gotten in as Recommendation Students, rendering them ineligible for such an honor. But Tetsutetsu certainly deserved it. She was as strong and fast and skilled as anybody he had known, with the heart of a true hero.

The redhead from Class 1-B took to the stage. "I just want to say," she began, "that I hope everyone brings their A-game to this contest! Show us… show the world… your Manly or Wo-Manly best! Just by being here, at U.A., we have already taken a tremendous first step in proving ourselves. But as the future Heroes of tomorrow, we owe it to ourselves and our competitors to leave nothing on the table! In the spirit of sportsmanship and friendly competition… let's all GO BEYOND!" She brought her right arm up, hand in a fist, as she converted it from flesh to steel. "PLUS ULTRA!"

"PLUS ULTRA!"

Thunderous applause went up from the students and the crowd. Toshi had heard longer speeches and he'd heard shorter ones. But Tetsutetsu's had been straight to the point, encouraging, and reminding them all that this was supposed to be a _friendly_ competition. Exactly the kind of thing it should do. Unifying, rather than divisive.

He looked over at the rest of his class. "Okay," he said. "First event's coming up. Everybody ready? Just like we planned it?"

Katsumi rolled her eyes. "Yes, Toshi. You've only been over it a dozen times already. We know what we've got to do. You and your "buddy system.'"

Izumi touched her arm. "It is a good plan, Katsumi," she said. "It gives our whole class the best chance to advance to the next round."

"Yeah, yeah," Katsumi groused.

Toshi stole a glance at the VIP boxes around the stadium. He knew his parents were up there somewhere, and so were Katsumi's, Izumi's, and a few others. Grandma Inko was up with Grandpa Might in the teacher's box too.

Lots of eyes on all of them. He was really going to have to do his best.

Time to Go Beyond!

Katsumi would never actually tell him, but Toshi's plan for the race segment was actually pretty smart. Over half the class—Toshi himself, the Twins, Sero, the Newb, Tokyami, Shoji, Mineta, and Izzy—all had Quirks or physical attributes that could vastly aid in mobility in some fashion. So Toshi had come up with a plan to pair them up with each other, complimenting Quirks where he could, so that they all had a better chance of making it to the next round. She had, of course, insisted on being paired with Izzy.

Izzy could travel around by means of ice slides, but even with her regulator rig, she'd have to let loose with a lot of fire to manage absorbing that much heat. Katsumi wasn't fireproof by any means, but her Quirk did mean she had a small amount of heat resistance. Besides… it meant she could watch Izzy's back. She could risk a few burns for that.

And… her own Quirk wasn't good for getting around. Dad could propel himself with his explosions, but her Quirk was different. She was in great shape and could parkour with the best of them, but that didn't do a lot of good with people who could fly or gravity jump or anything like that. She hated to admit it, but her Quirk wasn't suited for the race. She'd give it her all in any case, but she knew she'd need help if she was going to make it. If her Quirk had taken after her biological mother's… well, maybe she'd have had a better chance. But she had what she had.

The admission stung her, even unvocalized. She hated admitting weakness of any kind. Papa always said knowing your limits (while still trying to surpass them) was very (Wo)-manly… but, well, sometimes she had too much of Dad in her.

As they gathered near the starting line, she did her best to clear her mind and give Izzy a reassuring look. "We've got this, Izz," she said. "You and me. Same as always."

Izzy smiled at her in return, and she felt her heart flutter for a moment. Maybe Izzy didn't love her the way she loved Izzy. And maybe she still wasn't over her, not by a long shot. But that smile could always make her feel like she could take on the world, if she was doing it for Izzy.

"The same as always," Izzy said.

A hush fell over the crowd and the students, as Hawkeye called for quiet. "The first event is an old but highly regarded traditional one… _the Obstacle Course_! All you have to do is make it to the end and past the hazards! We know we have a number of flight Quirks this year, so it is requested that you fly no more than nine meters above the track! You may use your Quirks against any hazard you encounter… but _not_ against your fellow competitors! Anyone caught violating this rules will be ejected from the tournament!"

She drew a flare gun from the holster on her left hip. "Runners… on your mark…"

Isamu's heart was pounding in his chest. Dressed in his gym uniform, he'd petitioned and received permission to use the gloves, goggles, and bandanna from his costume, as necessary and protective gear for when using his Quirk. At Toshi's suggestion, he'd been partnered with Mika Mineta for the race. While she had a good hoof-speed of her own, he was a lot faster. And between her horns acting like a battering ram and being able to use him as a gunnery platform for the sticky balls she could fire from them, he had to admit, it actually made a kind of sense.

"I dunno how I feel about riding you in front of all these people, Haimawari. Seems like that kind of thing ought to be more private."

Man, was he grateful his gear hid how red he was getting.

"Get set…" Hawkeye continued, "go!" She fired the flare gun, lighting up the sky.

He dropped instantly to all fours and grunted as Mineta landed on his back. She was heavier than she looked. Her legs (boy, those were muscular) squeezed his sides. "Hiyo, Haimawari!"

"_And they're off," _the voice of Present Mic says, cutting through the din of everyone. _"Class 1-A takes an early lead, looking like they're all in this together, but everyone else is close behind! "And it looks like we have a… winner? Jin Ando of General Studies Class 1-E! How…?!"_

Aizawa's voice cut in. _"His student file says he's a long range teleporter. That can't possibly be in the spirit of this event_._"_

"_I guess we'll just leave that one to the judges! In the meantime, everybody keep it up! Second place is still on the line!"_

First place already gone? He rocketed forward, darting around some of the other competitors. Around him, he could see Izumi climbing upwards on an ice-platform, Kirishima-Bakugo's arms wrapped tightly around her midsection. Toshi was bouncing in long gravity jumps, carrying Shinso in his arms. Sero, with Sato clinging to his back, fired a long strand of tape, grabbing onto one of the floating cameras and pulling himself into the air. Tokoyami rose into the air, carried by Frog-Shadow, while Koda rode on the familiar's back. The Twins, with the wing-harnesses from their costumes, rose into the air, each carrying one of their classmates; Aoyama with Tensei and Kaminari with Sora. Shoji moved like some kind of giant spider on his Extendo-Arms, Ojiro carried in his normal ones.

Around them, other students flew or sped or ran, whatever their physicality and Quirks would allow.

Haimawari picked up his speed, yet knowing he needed to pace himself. But speed was important here… he _had_ to be one of the forty-two to make it.

Chihiro was trembling in Iida's arms, her own wrapped around her body. She'd been unprepared for the sudden feeling of acceleration that accompanied being carried by Iida, to say nothing of the fact that she was apparently not that great with heights and learning it at the absolute worst possible moment.

They were hardly the only students in the air, though. There was Sora's brother, carrying Aoyama, and she could spy the comet girl from 1-C who had crashed into their dorm during the first week of school. A bat-like boy from 1-C flapped beside them and a behind them there was a butterfly-winged girl from General Studies fluttered through the air. There was even a boy from 1-B who had inflated himself like a beach ball and was bouncing almost as good as Toshi did with his gravity jobs.

"_And now they're coming up on the first obstacle!"_ came the voice of Present Mic. _"Courtesy of Power Loader and the Third Year Support students, get ready for something you've never seen before! You're heard of One-Pointers, Two-Pointers, Three-Pointers, and even Zero-Pointers, now feast your eyes on Minus One-Pointers!"_

"Minus One?" Iida asked, bringing them a little closer to the ground. Below, she could see the pack on the ground was being led by Haimawari and a female student from 1-C who instead of feet, had their legs joined in a singular wheel. Izumi and Kirishima-Bakugo, on one of Izumi's ice slides, weren't far behind, with Izumi shooting the occasional blast of flame into the air.

"Beats me," Chihiro said.

She didn't have long to wait. Even though the track remained clear, dozens of panels opened up in the ground and small robots, their main body barely bigger than an American football, with high spinning rotors and small claws, emerged. Moving quickly, they began to swarm the students.

"Keep flying!" she told Iida. "I'll keep the path clear!"

"Roger!"

Chihiro extended both of Cords, sending a charge of electricity through both. Each one struck out and pierced the side of a drone, giving her a little bit of purchase. The electricity disabled them and she tossed each one into another drone, which exploded in showers of sparks. She quickly retracted her Cords, then shot then out again, spark-smashing her way through more.

"Ugh!" Sora cried out in pain as a drone got past Chihiro, ramming into her side. She lost her grip and Chihiro let out a scream as she began to fall. But she shot out her Cords again, wrapping each one around the body of a drone.

"AAAAH!" Chihiro screamed, certain her Cords were going to rip from her head. Each one could lift maybe 10 kilograms on a good day. They definitely _weren't_ supposed to be used to support her full body weight or even half that. She had maybe a few seconds before she had to let go or she was going to black out from the pain.

A body slammed into her and she found herself in Sora's arms again. "I must apologize," she said. "I was caught off-guard! It took me longer than I expected to free myself from the swarm!"

Chihiro retracted her cords, hoping she wouldn't be too sore to keep going. "Just keep flying!"

Fortunately, it looked like many others were having the same trouble. She could even see several students from the non-Hero courses who were signaling that they were giving up and were being pulled out by the medical robots.

She was determined not to be one of those.

With the constant up and down of Takuma's tape-swinging, Kenta was pretty sure he was going to throw up.

"Oh, man, we are gonna die!" Takuma wailed. He was actually doing better than most, since his Quirk was letting him just swing from robot to robot. Kenta's Quirk wasn't much good here, but he was able to take a bite out of a few drones that got too close. Toshi was definitely smart to have gotten them all to team-up. He'd have been happy to help his best friend out anyway… but really, he was the one getting help. His Quirk was one of the most useless here.

Fortunately, being the voice of reason was sometimes just as good as a Quirk. "Dude," he said to Takuma. "Calm down. I've got a plan. See those two robots down there…"

"Yeah?" Takuma asked, letting go of a strand of tape and sending the both of them sailing through the air.

"Snag both of them!" Kenta ordered. "And then reel us in! Land on them!"

"Are you crazy?"

"No! Crazy ideas are your department! I'm the sensible one! Grab something or we're going to crash!"

"Okay, okay! Quit yelling!"

Takuma fired off dual strands of tape, hooking a pair of robots and reeling the two of them in. His feet landed with a heavy thud, but the robots supported their weight. With his tape and strong arm muscles, Takuma was easily able to steer the robots through the swarm.

"WAHOOO!" Takuma let out a cheer. "You're brilliant, bro! Brilliant!"

"Remember that the next time I tell you something is a bad idea!"

"I make no promises!"

"_And the first competitors are just now reaching the second stage! Time to find out who's got the goods, who doesn't, and who's a 'pillar' of our school!"_

"…_You didn't really make that pun, did you?"_

"_I think you'll find that I did!"_

"_How long were you planning that?"_

"_I don't have to answer that!"_

Tensei wasn't sure what the second stage was, so he poured on the speed, Aoyama secure in his arms. The glowing blond had been invaluable during the robot-swarm of the first stage, blasting the robots right out of their path and letting him fly through without much difficulty. But now, he couldn't tell what was coming…

_**SHOOM!**_

A huge stone pillar shot up out of the ground and Tensei was forced to throw everything he had into flying upwards to avoid it, then rocketed backwards.

_**SHOOM!**_

More pillars shot up out of the ground, before falling back into their recessed holes. He quickly estimated their height and found that they were taller than limited flight ceiling the Festival rules allowed him.

_**SHOOM!**_

"Can we blast our way through?" Aoyama asked, charging up his light-blasts in his hands.

Tensei swooped in low, heading back to the rapidly appearing and disappearing pillars. "I do not believe so," he said. "Estimating thickness and material hardiness, you would have to expend significant power to blast your way through even one, likely leaving very little to blast through any subsequent ones…"

"You could have just said _non_, you know," Aoyama replied.

"I believe in providing all the necessary information," Tensei replied.

They were losing ground. He could see some of the other competitors maneuvering through the pillar maze, some of the other flying students going to ground. Others, like Haimawari were actually using the pillars, sliding up one and jumping to slide over the next. And others still were just charging through.

_**SHOOM!**_

But now, even though he had fallen behind, he believed he had witnessed enough of the pillars movement to commit their pattern to memory.

"Hang on!" he shouted to Aoyama. "TURBO… _BOOST_!"

He fired his Jetpack at full speed, shifting up just in time to avoid a pillar. Fire, move, shift, fire more shift… One pillar nearly clipped his wings, but he quickly recovered, firing a harder burst of his Quirk to avoid it.

Just a few more pillars and they'd be out of the maze…

_**SHOOM!**_

Shota screamed. Not from fear, he trusted Toshi as his partner in the race to protect him, but to hold up his end of the partnership. It was a fast, high-pitched sound, striking the pillar ahead of them and making it shimmer as this sonic effect accelerated the molecules of the pillar for a moment. Just long enough for Toshi to jump them _through_ it. He definitely couldn't do that trick for very long, but he didn't have to either.

"Good job!" Toshi said. He bounced from pillar to pillar like a ping pong ball, rapidly shifting his gravity. Even carrying Shota, he could keep up a good pace. "Give me the signal when you're ready for the next one!"

_**SHOOM!**_

Toshi jumped back, narrowly avoiding a rising pillar. But he stepped too far back and…

_**SHOOM!**_

A pillar shot up under Toshi's right foot, launching them both into the air. Shota felt himself slip from Toshi's grasp and this time he screamed for real as he went first up, then back down towards the still hammering pillars. But even as he did, he called on his Quirk, hammering the pillar coming up at him with sonic waves. Like he'd done during the Quirk Apprehension Test, he affected the state of the pillar's matter, turning it into rippling waves. He kept it up as he fell, pushing more power into it, into the air itself. The air rippled before him, but slowed his fall.

_**SHOOM!**_

Toshi fell too, but he was more used to falling from great heights than Shota and recovered quickly, altering his gravity first to stop his upward ascent, then slowing his fall until he could do a gravity-assisted jump off another pillar.

"Gotcha!" Toshi said, as his next jump carried him to Shota, catching him in his arms. "You okay?"

"I'm fine!" Shota told him. "That was fun! Keep going!"

"We really gotta discuss your idea on fun, Shota," Toshi said, launching himself into the air again.

_**SHOOM!**_

"**Wheeee!"** Frog-Shadow cried out. **"This is fun!"**

"Can you just focus on us not getting smashed?!" Asuka demanded of her familiar. So far, Frog-Shadow had mostly been behaving herself, which was good. She knew she had a lot to live up to, after all, her father had placed third during his first Sports Festival. And while neither of her parents would be upset if she did not place, they would if she gave it less than her all. So she wanted to make as good a mark as she could.

Riding on top of Frog-Shadow, Koda tossed a handful of seeds into the pillar hole in front of them. Calling upon her Quirk, the stony-girl made them grow rapidly, filling the hole with choking vines and keeping the pillar from rising. For a moment, at least. She could already hear the sounds of vines snapping and urged Frog-Shadow onward.

"How are your supplies?" she asked Koda. "I don't want you to run out before the second event *chirp*."

"Do not worry," Koda said. "My request for my seed pouches for the Festival was quite generous. I have plenty more to spare and can resupply before the third leg, should providence shine upon me to bring me there."

"Good," Asuka said.

_**SHOOM!**_

Something grey flashed by, wrapping around a pillar, and Asuka saw Monoma from Class 1-B swing through, a move she was certain belong to their teacher, using something very much like Aizawa's capture scarf. He gave them a brief salute as he sailed by.

"I wish you all the luck, Akaya… But it is 1-B who shall prove the victors today!"

_**SHOOM!**_

Another pillar shot up and for a moment, it looked like Monoma was going to crash into it. But Koda shot out an arm as he sailed by and pulled him back.

"You were saying, Shiro?" she asked.

"Perhaps this event will make victors of us all?"

"…As good as I expect to get. Be safe, friend!" Koda let him drop to the ground, perhaps a little roughly, but no more than he deserved in the moment. They were in competition, after all.

"Onward!" Asuka shouted.

"**I know, I know! It's not like I'm gonna go backwards!"**

As they finally passed through the last of the pillars, Ojiro asked, "Can't you go any faster, Shoji? We're falling behind!"

Daisuke shook his head. "I'm going as fast as I can," he said. Hand over hand, his Extendo-Arms keeping him up off the ground and moving at a brisk pace. Not as fast as those with speed or flight Quirks, or even Sero's swinging or Midoriya's gravity-jumps, but faster than those who relied on footspeed alone.

Not for the last time, he wondered how he'd managed to get paired up with Ojiro. He strongly suspected that Midoriya had simply run out of classmates by the time he'd gotten to them. That was all right, he supposed. He ought to have been annoyed by it, but he was used to fading into the background.

And, of course, he had to admit, Ojiro had come in very handy during the swarm of minus one-pointers. She'd simply turned the both of them invisible and they'd slipped through without issue. Other than the couple of students who had nearly run them over or run into them, but well, it got them through.

"Remember, we don't have to come in first… just in the first forty-two," he said. "Just get to the next round."

She smacked him upside the head with an invisible hand. "That's loser talk!"

"I can leave you behind, you know."

She jerked in his arms. "No! We have to work together! Midoriya said! I can't win this on my own! I get winded easy!"

Daisuke just rolled his eyes. Such a drama queen. Why was he cursed to be the sensible one? "Don't worry," he said. "We're a team. And that means nobody gets left behind."

And now the final stage lay just ahead…

"_And the first students are starting to make it to the third stage! In the lead are Haimawari, Mineta, Todoroki, and Kirishima-Bakugo from Class 1-A, and Aoki from Class 1-C! But they've got plenty of competition coming in from behind! Tetsutetsu from Class 1-B, Tanaka from Class 1-C, and…"_

So they were close to the lead, with Isamu and Mineta ahead of them and the wheeled girl from 1-C close behind. A slim margin, but one she could hopefully maintain.

Izumi was beginning to tire. Even releasing steady streams of fire, her regulator bands were blinking bright orange, verging on red. But the finish line was so close.

Katsumi had done an amazing job of protecting her, breaking off shards of their ice slide and turning them into deadly explosive projectiles. She'd been able to assist in their defense as well, with her flame blasts. It felt… good. She was actually accomplishing something, going farther than she had ever gone before. She didn't dare imagine she'd win, but for a moment, she believed she might place.

"You okay, Iz?" Katsumi asked. She herself sounded fairly winded, but her determination came through clearly.

"Managing," she admitted.

Her ice slide ate up the distance quickly though and soon the third stage was upon them.

She hadn't been expecting that. Not in a million years.

"Oh…!"


	33. Chap29: Sports Festival: Finish Line!

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 29: Class 1-A and the Sports Festival Part 2: Finish Lines and Score Cards**

Izumi let out a small gasp as she saw the third stage of the race rise up before her and Katsumi. She might have expected another obstacle like the pillar field they had left behind. She might even have expected a mine field or something like that, but no, that wasn't it.

Before they, rising up and completely blocking any way around it, was what appeared to be a demolished office building, leaning sharply to the left and crumbling. It was too tall to go over it, above the flight ceiling they'd imposed, even if she could make that much ice that quickly.

"You're… you're seeing this too, right, Izzy?" Katsumi asked.

"Indeed I am," she said. "Any suggestions?"

"_And the first students are coming on the final stage!" _Present Mic's voice cut through the noise of the race and crowd. _"They're gonna have to make their way past this destroyed office building if they're gonna get to the finish line! It's still anybody's race!_"

"Smash through," Katsumi said. "Break through a window, maybe third floor or so… then we just have to push out the other side."

Below, she could hear the whooshing-zip sound of Isamu and saw him sliding towards the building, Mineta still on his back. Aoki, the girl with the wheeled monopod instead of feet from Class 1-C, was very close behind the two of them. Katsumi's suggestion seemed risky… but she was also not sure she had anything better. Especially since Isamu likely could simply just slide around the outside of the building. They were doing well… but she wanted to do even better.

"Then that's what we'll do."

"What, no arguments?" Katsumi asked. "Usually you try to talk me out of stuff."

Izumi smiled. "Sometimes, one simply has to act and be bold, things you excel at. I trust your judgement here."

"Thanks, Izz."

Izumi concentrated, lifting them up higher on her ice slide, pushing towards the building. "Clear us a path!" she told Katsumi.

"On it!" Katsumi broke a chunk of ice off, held it in her hand for a moment, and then threw it like a baseball. It impacted the window ahead of them and exploded with a powerful but short-lived boom, creating enough of a whole for them to pass through. She extended her ice slide, creating a bridge to the hole Katsumi had created and both stepped inside.

With her feet on solid (albeit crumbling) ground, rather than her own ice, Izumi suddenly realized just how bone-wearily _tired_ she was. She hadn't made that much ice, processed that much heat in… she honestly couldn't remember when. Even with her regulator rig (which was flashing an urgent and vivid orange), it had taken its toll on her. Suddenly, she felt her legs collapse out from under her and she sank to her knees.

"Izzy!" Katsumi screamed, and she dropped down to her own knees, her face inches from Izumi's own. Katsumi put her hands on her shoulders. "Izzy! Speak to me! Are you okay?"

Her eyelids feeling heavy, Izumu shook her head. "I may… have overexerted myself," she said, quietly, ashamed. She'd been so certain she had the stamina for this. And now she was letting everyone down…

"Here," Katsumi said, turning around. "Climb on my back. Can you hold on, at least?"

"I… think so…"

"Then we'll do that. I'll carry you the rest of the way."

"You really do always have my back."

"Always, Izz. Always."

Her terror abated for the moment, and Izzy on her back, Katsumi ran as fast as her legs would carry her. She did take pride in her fitness. It wasn't her Quirk, it wasn't some mutation like Horse-Girl's hooves, this was pure physicality, all her. And she was in damn good shape, if she did say so herself.

Damn, though, if Izzy wasn't _light_. Her friend was thin and willowy compared to her, but she hadn't realized by how much. She couldn't be much more than forty-five kilograms. No wonder Izzy was so winded from all the exertion.

Legs pumping, Katsumi made her way through the wrecked office they'd found themselves in. She leapt over a desk, landing with a hard thud and a "Huhp!" shout from herself. She dodgeg a chair, avoided a fallen I-beam from the ceiling, avoided the dangling wires… It was probably some kind of controlled collapse, but there were still plenty of obstacles to avoid.

There was no one else around though. They meant everyone else had taken some other route. They weren't so far ahead that others shouldn't have been catching up, but it looked like they were the only ones on the third floor. Which also meant that she couldn't tell how far ahead or behind anyone else they were…

As much as she would have liked it, she didn't expect first place. It stung, gnawed at her mind. She was competitive to a fault, but she was also a realist. She just needed to do well enough to make her mark and get her and Izzy to the next round. She could be happy with that. Or at least, that's what she told herself.

And maybe better than Toshi or Kana. Show them she still had plenty of game. Not that either of them would look down on her. But she had to keep pushing.

They were close to the other side of the other side of the room now and Katsumi grabbed a desk chair as she ran by, imbuing it with the explosive power of her Quirk. She gave it a hard shove, sending it careening across the floor on its wheels until it impacted with the wall.

_**KABOOM!**_

The explosion left a large hole in the wall and Katsumi didn't slow down for a second. She'd gotten real good over the years at figuring out exactly how long it would take something to explode and how big an explosion it would make. By the time the smoke from the explosion had cleared, she was right upon the hole she'd created…

"Hang on tight, Izz," she said.

And she jumped right out the hole.

Maybe not her smartest idea. But she always was impulsive. It usually served her well. A good yell and a good solid punch were what she considered basic necessities in the fight against evil. Knock the guy out early, you don't have to worry about untangling their plans or strategizing.

The ground was coming up awful face and she braced herself for impact. It hurt like crazy, but nothing seemed broken. Instantly, she broke into a run, with the finish line in sight.

"Still with me?" she asked Izzy.

"To the end," Izzy told her.

Behind them, she could hear the sounds of shattering glass and smashed steel and concrete as other students burst through other floors and windows of the collapsing building. With some of them decidedly faster than her, Katsumi ran, as hard and fast as her legs would carry her.

"_And now the first runners are coming up on the finish line! Will it be one of the duos from Class 1-A? Or will it be… someone else? Those last few meters are still anyone's game! One thing's for sure… they better have those cameras ready down there!"_

In all honesty, the third leg of the race had been the easiest for Isamu, even with a passenger to account for. He'd had to rely on Mineta to protect him during the swarm of minus one-pointers, had to use a lot of care and caution during the pillar zone, but the building? Unlike a lot of the others, he hadn't even needed to go inside. With his Slide and Glide Quirk, he'd been able to simply slide over the outside of the building, putting him on the ground before anyone else had even made it outside.

"We're doing it! I can't believe we're actually doing it!" Mineta shouted from his back. She was remarkably cheerful considering she'd nearly fallen off three times during the pillars. Where, admittedly, she'd come in handy too. She'd actually been able to keep a couple pillars from rising up at them with her sticky balls. He'd not, if he was forced to admit it, had much of a high opinion of her prior to this, even if he'd been warming up to her slightly. But maybe she was all right after all.

"We are!" he shouted back, a little surprised by it. All these other people competing, all those Quirks, and he was winning? He was half convinced he was actually in a coma after having been set on fire and this was all just part of his coma dream.

And there it was: the finish line.

"Hang on tight," he said, putting everything he could into his speed. He couldn't go full out and expect her to hold on (not to mention the effects of wind burn or being able to breathe, things he was adapted to) for long, but one powerful, short burst to carry them over the finish line should be okay.

He was still going when he felt her digging her hooves into his sides. "Hey! Hey! You can stop! We did it! We did it! _SLOW DOWN I WANNA GET OFF!_"

Her words drew him out of his focus and he skidded to a rather sudden stop, applying a bit too much breaking force. Mineta went flying forward as the laws of physics kicked in, landing upside down on the ground in front of him. She let out another cheer. "I'm okay!"

Isamu helped her to her feet, then turned to watch the big screen as others started coming across the finish line.

"_And second across the line are Haimawari and Mineta from Class 1-A! I guess you could say he made this a real __**slide show**__, eh, Eraser?"_

"…_You can make me sit up here, but you can't make me respond to your dumb jokes, Mic."_

"_Looks like your class teamed up for this one! Anything you'd like to say about that?"_

"_It's technically within the rules."_

"_That's it? That's all you've got to say?"_

"_Anything else is between me and my class."_

"_Oh, you're no fun!"_

"_Thank you."_

Well, if that wasn't ominous…

"_And that's number forty-two over the finish line! We'll be putting the countdown of our winners up on the charts in just a minute, but for now, let's go down to Hawkeye and get the scoop on our first place finisher!"_

The camera zoomed in on Hawkeye, who stood with the guy from 1-E who'd apparently come in first. Jin Ando was a short boy, with dark hair cut into a bowl cut. Rather than looking excited (Right now, Isamu felt like he had enough energy to Slide and Glide his way around the whole world) though, he just looked bored, like he wished he was somewhere else.

Some of the others from 1-A had gathered around. Isamu turned to Midoriya. "Do you think they're going to let him win?" he asked. "Are there rules for teleporters or something?"

Midoriya shook his head. "I don't know… teleportation Quirks are _super _rare. There's maybe a dozen listed on the Public Quirk Registry. I mean, there's probably more on some super secret registry or something, but still. It's probably not something they planned for. Of course, if they don't let it count… that means you won, Haimawari!"

Isamu felt himself go pale. He hadn't thought about that! He definitely did not need to be worth a bajillion points in whatever came next!

Toshi gave Haimawari a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Relax," he said. "Whatever happens, we've got your back."

"I… thanks, Midoriya," Haimawari said. He didn't look any less tense, but Toshi did see that he was breathing again, so that was good. He probably shouldn't have said anything and gotten him all panicked.

"After deliberation with the Principal and the other teachers," Hawkeye said, "we have decided to allow Ando's first place finish to stand."

A combination of cheers and boos went up from the crowd. Toshi wasn't really sure what side of the fence he fell on. On the one hand, Ando had used his Quirk, the same as any of them. On the other hand, he'd completely circumvented the obstacles all the rest of them had had to negotiate. He firmly believed people should be able to use their Quirks as freely as possible… but it just didn't seem in the spirit of the event. It wasn't pushing himself, it wasn't rising up to a challenge… If Ando was a long-range teleporter, than what he'd done wasn't any more difficult than walking across the street for him.

And with a Quirk like that, why wasn't he in the Hero Course?

"However," Hawkeye said, "we will be issuing rules going forward to that will further clarify and restrict the use of such Quirks during similar events for future Sports Festivals."

Ando took a step forward. "I just want to say thank you for recognizing my victory. I'll now be withdrawing from the Festival. I hope everyone keeps me in mind as I begin my delivery business going forward. As you can see, I can offer near instantaneous delivery times."

He vanished from the stage in a flash of white light.

A long moment of silence held the crowd, until Hawkeye spoke again. "All right," she growled, "with that over with… let's take a look at how our top forty-two did!"

Toshi looked over to the big board, this time displaying the ranking students. Pictures appeared alongside them as their names and classes appeared.

Jin Ando, Class 1-E, General Studies

Isamu Haimawari, Class 1-A, Hero Course (_Good for him! He knew his friend had it in him! Hopefully this didn't put too big a target on him for the next event. He'd heard rumors they were doing away with the million points…)_

Mika Mineta, Class 1-A, Hero Course _(Well, mostly getting the benefits from being paired with Haimawari, but still, maybe this would inspire her to take things more seriously?_

Yui Aoki, Class 1-C, Hero Course _(The wheeled girl from 1-C, Toshi realized. How did that work, exactly? How was she able to stand still like that without falling over? Wheels were not a natural organic shape… and what was hers made of?)_

Katsumi Kirishima-Bakugo, Class 1-A, Hero Course _(That was… probably bad. Katsumi didn't usually take losing well. And Haimawari really bugged her for some reason. So losing to him was… He ought to stay close to him just in case._

Izumi Tododoki, Class 1-A, Hero Course _(Izumi looked a little worse for wear. He hoped she was okay. Had she pushed herself too hard?)_

Haya Tanaka, Class 1-C, Hero Course (_The comet girl from a last month… good for her! It looked like she'd recovered nicely and was back to using her Quirk.)_

Kana Tetsutetsu, Class 1-B, Hero Course _(Now that was actually really impressive. Not that he doubted Tetsutetsu's skills, but her Quirk wasn't really one that did much for speed. Toshi definitely wanted a chance to see how she'd done it.)_

Chizue Kuroiro, Class 1-B, Hero Course _(The shadow-skinned girl could bring stuff to life, right? She'd probably called up something to carry her through.)_

Sora Iida, Class 1-A, Hero Course _(What was the proper boyfriend behavior when your girlfriend finished in the top ten of the U.A. Sport's Festival? Was there a card for that? Did you get her congratulatory flowers?)_

Chihiro Kaminari, Class 1-A, Hero Course _(He could see Kaminari very pointedly not listening to Mineta. The horned-girl was probably trying to brag about her victory.)_

Tensei Iida, Class 1-A, Hero Course _(Sora seemed to be taunting her brother with something. What that was, he couldn't possibly guess.)_

Takiyo Aoyama, Class 1-A, Hero Course _(Hopefully it wouldn't go to his head…)_

Toshinori Modoriya, Class 1-A, Hero Course (_Not bad… he wished he could have placed in the top ten, but in the top fifteen wasn't bad at all.)_

Shota Shinso, Class 1-A, Hero Course _(He was pretty sure Shota was going to vibrate himself out of sync with this dimension with how he was shaking from excitement!)_

Hizashi Koumori, Class 1-B, Hero Course (_A bestial, bat-winged boy. Was there more to his Quirk? That wingspan shouldn't have supported flight at all…_)

Takuma Sero, Class 1-A, Hero Course _(Sero was preening, trying to fix his hair while the camera was still on him.)_

Kenta Sato, Class 1-A, Hero Course _(He'd seen Sato and Sero riding the robots during the minus one-pointer swarm. It was a good idea. Therefore, it had probably been Sato's.)_

Inori Tagikawa, Class 1-C, Hero Course _(She was a blonde and otherwise normal looking girl. Toshi thought he remembered her doing some kind of screaming during the race. Like Shota, but different.)_

Goro Gomusuk, Class 1-B, Hero Course (_The guy who'd inflated himself like a beach ball and bounced around during the race. Maybe he had some kind of elasticity-based Quirk?)_

Yoru Kan, Class 1-C, Hero Course _(The daughter of the former U.A. teacher, Vlad King, she was a pale girl with fangs who looked a bit uncomfortable in the sun.)_

Asuka Tokoyami, Class 1-A, Hero Course _(Asuka had done well and it looked like she and Akaya had worked well together. Good. Though right now it looked like she was trying to corral Frog-Shadow.)_

Akaya Koda, Class 1-A, Hero Course (_Koda seemed as calm and at peace as ever. There were days Toshi really envied her calm.)_

Taichi Yamachi, Class 1-C, Hero Course (_He had a centaur Quirk? Definitely more heteromorphic than Toshi had usually seen.)_

Kimiko Dashi, Class 1-B, Hero Course (_A girl with short hair in three stripes of red, yellow, and blue, and what looked like a traffic light strapped to one arm. Toshi remembered seeing her slowing down and speeding things up during the race. That was potentially a very powerful and useful Quirk indeed._

Rukia Yagami, Class 1-I, Support Course (_A tall girl who looked like she was made on diamond. It would have made a fine Hero's Quirk, Toshi thought. But then again, given how often things in the Support labs blew up, it was probably just as useful there. Mutant or Transformation-type, he wondered.)_

Joichiro Koichiro, Class 1-B, Hero Course (_A guy with short, dark hair, and… two pupils in each eye? He didn't recall seeing him during the race, so he wasn't sure what his Quirk was. He supposed he'd find out during the next event.)_

Momoko Mogura, Class 1-F, General Studies (_A short, mole-like girl with glasses. She probably had some kind of digging-power to go with her appearance. Digging under the track would have worked really well.)_

Ichigo Minoru, Class 1-C, Hero Course (_A lion-like boy who towered over most of his classmates. He was more than a little intimidating looking, but none of his classmates seemed bothered by it.)_

Sasuke Kido, Class 1-B, Hero Course (_A red haired boy who seemed to be shimmering slightly. During the race, he'd simply just walked through the minus one-pointers as the robots had exploded against some kind of force field. Was there more to it than that?)_

Ken Tenoh, Class 1-D, General Studies (_A guy with a wild, untamed mane of black hair and claws on his fingers. Probably a fairly limited Quirk then, but they'd be good for climbing…)_

Rei Endo, Class 1-E, General Studies (_A blue-haired girl with pointed ears, but no readily apparent Quirk. In fact, Toshi didn't remember seeing her during the race at all. Which meant something… stealthy?)_

Anime Fukidashi, Class 1-B, Hero Course (_A girl with too large eyes and who looked like a living animation cel. It honestly hurt Toshi's eyes a little to look at her for too long.)_

Mio Yamaguchi, Class 1-B, Hero Course (_Some kind of vibration Quirk, if he remembered what Tetsutetsu had said. Could be dangerous if she made it to the tournament round)_

Chiasa Kamakiri, Class 1-B, Hero Course _(Her Swarm Quirk might not have come in too hand during the race. Would she have had to get all of herself across the finish line, or would just one of her split-segment clones have counted?)_

Hisashi Horikoshi, Class 1-D, General Studies _(Was he carrying some kind of sketchpad? What kind of Quirk did he have exactly? Toshi had been too far ahead to see.)_

Koharu Kocho, Class 1-F, General Studies (_A slight, butterfly winged girl, with big eyes and feathery antenna. She'd been doing really well early on, but had gotten overwhelmed in the robot swarm. Toshi was glad to see she'd made it.)_

Shikha Mizuno, Class 1-C, Hero Course (_A girl with antlers and big ears, Koda had mentioned her recently. Another one with no heroic pedigree. Good to see she'd made it. They needed plenty of new blood in the Hero world, not just dynasties.)_

David Togata, Class 1-G, Support Course (_Was that a flying skateboard? Good for Dave! He'd originally planned on not really putting much into the competition, but Toshi and Shota had talked him into giving it a try. It looked like it had paid off._)

Daisuke Shoji, Class 1-A, Hero Course _(Toshi was glad to see Shoji had made it, even if he'd been towards the back of the pack. He knew the six-armed boy sometimes through of his Quirk as pretty plain or utilitarian. Maybe it would be more useful in the next round)_

Kimiko Ojiro, Class 1-A, Hero Course _(Ojiro was over with Sero and Sato, waving her arms excitedly, probably telling them about her race experiences. Neither looked like they were getting a word in edgewise.)_

Shiro Monoma, Class 1-B, Hero Course _(Well, some things couldn't be avoided)_

"Of course," Hawkeye went on, "with Ando withdrawing, everyone will be advancing one spot and we will be moving up the current forty-third place finisher. That student is Jin Choyaku, from the Hero Course, Class 1-C!" Toshi watched as a boy with curly dark hair and what looked like coiled springs below his knees in lieu of lower legs and feet joined the other kids from 1-C who had passed.

Various cheers and congratulations went up among the students. So many students in the race, and only these forty-two had made it. Toshi was proud to count himself among them, and even prouder that unlike any of the other classes, everyone in his had made it. There were a _lot_ of Gen Ed kids who'd made it this time too. Five all together. Which really wasn't all that much, given that there were two from the Support Courses and thirty-five from the Hero Courses, but definitely more than most years. If they were serious about getting in… well, he hoped they did. There was additional room in the Hero Courses (not to mention a third Hero class these days) exactly for this kind of thing.

"I'll give you this, Toshi," Katsumi told him. "your teamwork idea really paid off. Got everybody through just fine." She gave Haimawari a harsher look though. "Doesn't explain how _you_ pulled off a win, though."

Haimawari let off a little terrified shriek, but he didn't try to hide behind Toshi (difficult, considering he was taller) like he might have a few weeks ago. "Trust me," he said, "I don't know how I pulled it off either! I, ah, I guess I just had the right Quirk in the right place for it. But you were doing really good too! I saw you booking it at the end there!"

Katsumi crossed her arms, but gave a small nod of approval. "And that was pure me. So watch yourself, Newb."

"Yes, ma'am," Haimawari said. "Watching it, ma'am."

He went quiet for a moment, as a thought seemed to strike him and the color drained from his face again. "Wait a minute. The teleporter kid's win counted. But he dropped out. That means…"

Toshi gave a pat on the shoulder, trying to be reassuring "It means you won!"

"I won!" Haimawari shouted, triumph temporarily overcoming panic, throwing both arms in the air. "I won! I won! I… won."

He took a moment to look around at the other forty-one who'd passed the first round. "Ooooh, this is gonna be bad."

Hakweye called for silence again. "And now for the Second Stage! For this, we'll be splitting you into two teams. Those of you whose placement was an odd number will be on the Blue Team and those of you whose placement was an even number will be on the White Team. Team Captains will be Isamu Haimawari and Katsumi Kirishima-Bakugo, as the first place finisher and first even-placed winner to complete the race under her own power rather than riding or being carried."

She pointed to opposite ends of the stadium. "For now, both teams should proceed to end zones. You'll be met by a teacher there who will hand out equipment and then I will explain the rules for our next event: Quirk-Ball!"

Toshi saw Katsumi flash Haimawari one of those grins she got right before she screamed and punched the hell out of something. "Looking forward to competing against you, Newb," she growled.

Well… this was going to be interesting.


	34. Chap30: Sports Festival: Quirkball!

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 30: The Sports Festival Part 3: Koharu Kocho – The Mothgirl Prophecies**

Down at the White Team's end of the field, Koharu Kocho was trying her best not to have a panic attack. She'd made it to the second round of the Sports Festival! Her dream of being a Hero was actually one step closer, assuming she didn't mess it up somehow now. She just needed to get to the third stage and show everyone what she could do.

She didn't dare dream of placing, beyond making it to the Tournament Round. Not against full-fledged Hero Course students, not in one-on-one fights like that. She'd done plenty of training on her own since before the first day of school and even practiced fighting against some of her friends, practiced until she felt like her wings were ready to fall off. She'd even managed to completely deplete her "scales" once and it had taken several days for them to fully regenerate. But they had much more intensive training than anything she could come up with. It would probably be like a civilian trying to take on a Pro.

No! She couldn't think like that. She had to have more confidence than that! She wanted a spot in the Hero Course so bad. Her Moth Quirk was more than good enough. It had nearly gotten her into the Hero Course to begin with…

There were lots of students in the General Education Courses who didn't like the Hero Course students. There were even some who hated them, especially this year, where so many of the Hero Course students were the children of Pro Heroes. So many of the General Education classes felt the Hero Course students were spoiled and entitled. Koharu wasn't one of those. If things had gone a little differently, she'd have been one of them.

She'd taken the Entrance Exam. Her Quirk had many more applications than it looked at first glance—most people incorrectly assumed all she could do was fly—and had even managed to score around twenty points. But that's where it had all gone wrong. She'd been doing well, taking out one and two-pointers with her String Shot and Wing-Scales when she'd heard an ominous clang behind her.

She'd turned just in time to see a gigantic three-pointer being knocked over a girl with metal arms, who she now recognized as the high-score winner of the Entrance Exam, Kana Tetsutetsu. Momentarily paralyzed with fear, she'd barely been able to keep it from crushing her as it came crashing down. Even then, she'd gotten smacked by it and had been sent crashing into a wall. She'd cracked her head and blacked out.

She'd come to in the Infirmary, after the Exam was over. She was proud of what she'd scored, but it was well below the threshold of what she'd needed to be admitted to the Hero Course. But she'd pushed on, applied to the General Education course, and been accepted to that. It was well known that if you did well enough in the Sports Festival, you _might_ have a chance at getting in to the Hero Course. So that was what she'd planned to do.

And now, she was one step-closer. Sure, she'd come in thirty-sixth, but that still beat out forty-third. The Tetsutetsu girl had made it too, of course, scoring much higher than she had. But Koharu didn't hold her any ill will. The Entrance Exam hadn't really been her fault. Even still, some part of her wondered if she could manage to take Tetsutetsu out during this round.

Figure Sk8, the science teacher for the Hero and Support courses (the General Education courses had Pro-Heroes for teachers as well, but theirs tended to be older and semi or fully retired), was handing out strange metal disks. She stopped in front of Koharu and handed one to her. "Just place it somewhere on your torso," she said, flipping a strand of white hair out of her eyes. "It'll stick on its own, just press the two buttons. Just be sure it's somewhere comfortable. It won't come off without a special signal. Got it?"

Koharu nodded, setting her feathery antenna to bobbing. She took the disk and placed it on her shoulder, pressing the two buttons. The device gave a small hum and adhered there easily. She wondered what it was for. Probably something to do with whatever Quirkball was.

Speaking of which, it looked like they were going to explain it. The crowd was going quiet as Hawkeye called for silence. Her image was projected on one of the big screens, while another showed points matching up their names and positions in the race. Her large eyes traced their way to her own name. Thirty-Five points. Two hundred ten points for the first place finisher, someone from one of the Hero Courses. And only five points for the last place finisher, another Hero Course kid.

Was it bad that she took some small measure of satisfaction in beating out at least a few Hero Course kids? Maybe. But she should be able to take pride in her accomplishments. And this certainly was one.

Hawkeye began speaking. "The rules for Quirkball are simple. The area has been split into two halves, the blue half and the white half. You are can travel anywhere in, under, or above your half, but you are not to cross the center line. The height limit from the Obstacle Course event for fliers remains in effect. When the event starts, we'll be releasing a number of balls into the arena. You'll use these, in conjunction with your Quirks and skills, to take out the other competitors. Each of you has been assigned a number of "life points", based upon your place in the first event. If you are hit with a ball, the sensors we have attached to you will record it and deduct five of those life points. If all your life points have been deducted, then you are eliminated. The event will continue until only sixteen competitors remain."

The teacher and Pro-Hero continued, "No deliberate headshots. If you're able to catch the ball, then it doesn't deduct from your score. Boundary lines have been marked on the outside edges of your half; if you cross these deliberately or accidentally, then you'll be eliminated. If you're knocked out of bounds, then you'll have five seconds to return to bounds or be eliminated. To insure you keep moving, balls with detonate if held longer than thirty seconds and reduce your points. Any questions?"

Sheesh, they weren't fooling around with this, were they? So… thirty-five points. Which meant she could only get hit six times and stay in the game. That wasn't a great margin for error there. Especially since her wings made her a big target. Unlike someone with, say, feathery wings, hers didn't really fold up much. She'd just have to do the best she could.

Hawkeye finished up. "We'll give you ten minutes to strategize with your team captains, then the event will begin."

"Omigosh! Your wings are so cute!" Koharu turned to the source of the girlish, giggly voice, finding an empty, animated gym uniform standing next to a pink-skinned boy. Both were from the Hero course, though, Koharu realized that she'd actually placed higher than the invisible girl. The invisible girl was bouncing excitedly, while the pink-skinned boy looked rather embarrassed by her.

"Sorry about her," the boy said, rolling his dark eyes. "But Kimiko said she just _had_ to come see you."

The invisible gym uniform gave the boy a smack on the arm. He winced and rubbed the spot. "Stop it, Takuma! You make me sound like some creepy stalker!"

"You were talking about how you wanted a t-shirt with the same pattern!"

Okay, this was getting a little awkward. "Uh… thanks?" Koharu tried. "I'm Koharu Kocho."

"Takuma Sero," the pink boy said.

"Kimiko Ojiro," the invisible girl added. "Maybe you've heard of us? Seen our webshows?"

Not just Hero students then. Second-generation Hero students. She recognized both of those names. She hadn't heard of the two of the two of them, but the names of their parents were certainly recognizable. Koharu shook her head. "Sorry," she said. "I don't really watch many webshows."

Both visibly deflated. "Well," Sero said, "maybe check it out sometimes? Kimiko's got a gossip show, my buddy Kenta eats stuff, and I do this thing where I jump off of really tall stuff and save myself with my tape. Getting lots of views."

Koharu shrugged, a gesture made more exaggerated by her wings. "I'll give it a look," she said. It was the polite thing to do, anyway. Worst thing that could happen was she'd end the video a little ways in.

"Hey!" an angry voice shouted. "All of you shut up!" The source of _that_ voice was a short, muscular blonde with spikey hair. "Sound off, all of you! Quirks! I need to know what we're working with!"

"You _know_ what our Quirks are!" Sero shouted back.

The blonde—Kirishima-Bakugo, she realized—shot back with an angry glare. "Of course I do!" she growled, but pointed at the others gathered around. "But I don't know theirs! And they don't know yours either!"

Quickly, the White Team rattled off their Quirks, sometimes giving a little more explanation. There were actually a bunch of really useful ones, her own included! Between her, Mineta and Koda from Class 1-A, along with Dashi from Class 1-B (who could speed up, slow down, or stop objects and people), they had a pretty good chance of restraining people from the other team long enough for them to be eliminated.

Finally, a tone sounded, indicating that they had a minute until the event began.

"All right," Kirishima-Bakugo growled. "You all know what to do! Do _not_ blow this or I'll kick your asses! And if I see any of you going after Izumi Todoroki…"

"Izumi wouldn't want any special treatment," the blonde with the weird cords hanging from her ears said.

"Just do it!"

The need to get away from the explosive girl gave them all speed as they got into position. And then the balls dropped.

"Haaack!" Koharu spat a blob of sticky silk from her mouth, down towards one of the Blue Team competitors on the other side of the field, an imposingly massive boy with four extra arms coming out of his back. It impacted against him with a wet-sounding _splat_, pinning those arms to his side. With as much force as she could muster, she threw a ball at him, allowing herself a small smile of satisfaction as it impacted against him. He wasn't out of the game, but at least she'd scored a hit!

Across both sides of the arena, all manner of Quirks were being put into action. She saw a blond boy on the Blue team throw a ball just like a professional baseball player. It sailed across to the other side, smacking into the glowing boy on her team. She didn't hear what the thrower said, but the gesture he made looked awfully rude.

The Blue Team's captain was just as fast as he'd been on during the race. With one hand on the ground and the other holding a ball, he'd race to the center line and let the ball go, putting all his speed behind it, before zipping back to the far corner. It flew fast and took the boy from the Hero Course with the spring-legs out of the match. First full elimination to the other side then.

There were plenty of other people in the air, not just her. On her side, there was Tanaka, a girl who flew by engulfing herself in flames like a comet. On the other, there were two kids, a boy and a girl, flying through some kinds of engines coming out of their backs, a massive humanoid bat, and a green-haired boy who was floating. The later, she was pretty sure was Deku's kid. Not too many other people he could be, with that hair and the gravity thing.

Below, one of the other Blue Team members stretched his body like a sling, then fired off a ball into the air. Koharu let out a shriek as it nearly hit her, barely dropping from the air in time. Unfortunately, this put her right in the crosshairs for another one, a frail looking girl with white and red hair, who propelled the ball along with a blast of flame. It smacked into her shoulder, knocking her back. Looking down, she could see that the counter now displayed on the disk had changed to a thirty.

She could only take five more hits and stay in the game now. She had to be better than this.

Koharu flapped her wings, releasing some of the "scales" there, a cloud of blue-ish purle powder. She could release a lot of different powders with different effects and here she chose a paralytic. On a turbulent battlefield like this, all her powders carried some risk. She was immune to them, but others weren't. If the wind should change, she might well take out her teammates instead. At least for the moment, though, she was able to paralyze a couple of the Blue Team closest to the dividing line, a burly centaur and a girl with large antlers. She quickly grabbed a loose ball throwing it at the girl first. It bounced off hard, striking the centaur too.

"Hii-yaaa!" A ball came sailing at her at high speed, propelled by the Tetsutetsu girl, her metal arm giving him incredible throwing power. It struck Koharu dead center, knocking her back, and sending her skidding across the ground.

"Her?" she said. "Again?" First the Entrance Exam and now here? It was getting a lot harder not to have hard feelings about the whole thing…

"Hey!" She looked up to see a purple-haired boy offering her a hand up. "You okay?"

She accepted his help, getting to her feet. "Getting there," she said.

"Good!" the boy said. "You're doing great! We'll get you in the Hero Course, I just know it!"

What. How could he possibly…? But there was no time for questions as he deflected a barrage of balls with some kind of wall of solids-sound generated by his screaming. Time to get her head back in the game.

"_This is it, folks! Seventeen competitors left in the game! One more person gets eliminated, and then we're on the Tournament Round! Who's it gonna be? What do you think, Eraser?"_

"_I keep telling you, Mic, it's anyone's game. You and I know better than anyone that anything can happen. Speculating like that is just an illogical waste of breath."_

"_Are you saying one of your kids is gonna break all their bones again?"_

"_They'd better not."_

Seventeen left: nine on the Blue Team and eight on the White. On Koharu's side were herself, Kirishima-Bakugo (who'd been screaming and yelling and setting off explosions of often she was surprised she wasn't deaf or hoarse), the girl with the hooves and horns, the pale girl with the fangs, the girl with the traffic light, the cartoon girl, Ojiro, and Sero. On the other side, there was the zippy Team Captain, the white and red-haired girl, the girl with the wheel, Tetsutetsu, the flying blue-black haired girl, the green-haired floaty kid, the girl with the bird head who'd called up some green glowing creature, a guy with force fields, and the sneering blond boy.

At least she was still in the game. She only had five life points left. A slim, desperate margin. She had to make sure she wasn't hit, wasn't taken out of the game. She _had_ to make it.

"Haaack!" she spat out another sticky blob of silk, hitting the wheeled girl from the Hero Course and knocking her to the ground, her wheel spinning uselessly. Koharu groped for a ball…

But in the end, it didn't matter. Kirishima-Bakugo let out another feral roar, using an explosion to propel a ball at rapid speed towards the sneering blond. The blond executed a kick flip that reminded Koharu of something she'd once seen Tailman do in an old video. The ball went sailing back over the dividing line and smacked hard into Sero, knocking him down to the ground. He took what looked like a pretty nasty bump to the head too.

"Takuma!" Ojiro cried out, rushing to his side. "Talk to me! Are you okay? Speak to me! How many fingers am I holding up?!"

Sero just started laughing at the question. "You ever listen to yourself, Kimiko? How'm I supposed to answer that? I'm fine. I'm just out of points."

She gave him a smack upside the head before getting to her feet. "Fine! See if I care about you again!"

And with that, a tone sounded.

"_And that's game!"_ came the voice of Present Mic. _"Forty-Two entered, sixteen left! Let's take a look at the scoreboard and see who's left! We've ranked our competitors by number of life points left!"_

Koharu was tired. It had been maybe fifteen minutes, maybe a little more, but with the obstacle course having been just before that, it had taken a lot out of her. She'd thought she was in pretty good shape… but maybe she wasn't.

Then again, it looked like the white and red-haired girl who'd been doing all the fire and ice was leaning pretty heavily on the Blue Team's captain. So she wasn't the only one a little worn out. She watched for a moment as Kirishima-Bakugo bolted across the field to their side, offering some additional support and shooting the wiry captain a dirty look. She didn't have a clue what was going on there.

She turned to look at the big board, pulling some of her blue-purple hair back and out of her eyes.

Kana Tetsutetsu - Points: 110

Asuka Tokoyami - Points: 100

Toshinori Midoriya - Points: 95

Sora Iida - Points: 90

Katsumi Kirishima-Bakugo Points: 85

Izumi Todoroki - Points: 85

Isamu Haimawari - Points: 80

Sasuke Kido - Points: 70

Yui Aoki - Points: 65

Kimiko Dashi - Points: 50

Mika Mineta - Points: 45

Yoru Kan - Points: 30

Anime Fukidashi - Points: 15

Kimiko Ojiro - Points: 10

Koharu Kocho - Points: 5

Shiro Monoma - Points: 5

Tied for last with the sneering blond. Well, it was better than getting knocked out of the running entirely. Mogura, from her class, and the others from the other General Education classes had all been eliminated. They'd all had such hopes about making a splash at the Sports Festival. And she was the only one left. Did that make her their last, best hope? Or was she thinking too big, putting too much on herself? Maybe she needed to just focus on getting herself through.

Koharu stared at the scoreboard for a moment, putting names to faces. Monoma had pulled off a number of fancy moves during Quirkball. Moves that looked suspiciously like moves she'd seen Pro-Heroes and athletes use. Did he have some kind of copying Quirk? He had that Capture Cloth thing… but if she could stay out of his reach, she was certain she could beat him. Between her String Shot and her "Scales", plus simply being able to fly…

Koharu nodded to herself. She could pull this off. She could. Back home, she was sure her parents were watching. She hoped she could make them proud. They'd been nothing but supportive when she'd talked about going to U.A., even when she'd settled on her current path instead of just going to a different Hero School following the Entrance Exam. And her grandfather had been even more supportive, saying that he saw big things ahead for her.

Hawkeye walked out onto the field, facing the students. "We'll take a one hour break for lunch and then begin the Tournament Round. If you're not back in time, we'll move on without you. So if you don't want to lose your spot, I suggest you get back early."

"_And that's break time, folks!" _Present Mic's voice sounded out. _"Get yourself some snacks and come back ready for full on Tournament Mayhem! Who's going to come out on top in this student battle royale? It's still anyone's game! I'm gonna go get a hot dog and then be back, ready to rummmmmmmmmmbbbbllllllllllllleeeeeeee! You want anything, Eraser?"_

"_Is peace and quiet too much to ask for?"_

"_I think you know the answer to that!"_

As Koharu turned to go inside, someone stopped her.

"Hey." She turned and saw Monoma. "I know we're going to be fighting, but I just wanted to say good luck. Always good to see someone from Gen Ed take a shot at making it."

She tilted her head slightly. "You're messing with me, aren't you?"

He shook his head and raised a hand. "On my honor, I am not. A very good family friend once managed to do the same thing you're trying to do. And, well, you've seen my Quirk. I'm not so sure I'd have been able to pass the normal Entrance Exam."

So, he was Recommendation Student? That made the whole thing even stranger. She wasn't one of those Gen Eds who thought the Hero Students were looking down on them, but she hadn't expected that much actual sympathy either.

"Ah, thanks," she said.

"Besides," Monoma added. "As long as _someone_ unseats some of those Class 1-A kids, I'll be happy. Even if it isn't me."

And that was even more strange. "I'll keep that in mind," she said, looking for an exit from this conversation.

"Good!" he said, clapping his hands together. "I've got a good feeling about you, Kocho. A good feeling indeed."


	35. Chapter 31: Lunchbreak!

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 31: The Sports Festival Part 4: Class 1-A Takes a Lunch**

Katsumi had a problem. She should have been happy, having made it to the final round of the Sports Festival. Sure, she hadn't come in first in either of the previous events, but all she had to do was pound a few heads into the ground and she could take home the gold. The last round called for fighting. She was _good_ at fighting, with and without her Quirk. Making it this far was ample opportunity to show off all of her (Wo)-Manly skills.

Yes, she should have been happy. She was anything but. The Tournament's first round matches were based upon scores and that meant that she'd be fighting Izzy in her first battle. Which she couldn't do, obviously. The thought of raising a hand to Izzy, let alone using the explosive power of her Quirk, was enough to make her want to throw up. While the others talked and laughed and ate in the mini-cafeteria provided for the competitors, she just sat at one of the tables banging her head on the table. She hadn't even eaten anything yet.

A soft clatter alerted her to the sound of a tray being set down next to her head. "Go away, Toshi," she said, without looking up. "Or if this is Kana, go away, Kana. I'm just going to sit here until I die. ..And if this is Izzy, then I don't actually mean it, but I need you to leave me alone. I don't want to talk about it."

"I can accept mistaking me for Tetsutetsu, but to mistake me for some of your classmates… _for shame_."

The nails on a chalkboard voice of Shiro Monoma was enough to make her lift her head up. Bad enough he lived across the street from her at home, bad enough he was at U.A., bad enough he had somehow made it through both rounds of the Festival so far, but now he was talking to her, when all she wanted was to be left alone to have an existential crisis in peace? Bad enough that he had, wait, he had brought her a tray of food?

"Is there a reason you're breathing my air, Monoma? You fall off your high horse and get lost?"

Monoma smirked that annoying smirk of his. As far as she knew, it was his default expression. Resting Monoma Face. "I simply want you at your best when I beat you, Kirishima-Bakugo. It would _hardly_ be sporting to beat you when you were weak with hunger."

Katsumi narrowed her eyes. "You've got to the count of zero to get yourself out of my face, Monoma."

He placed a hand over his heart, feigning offense. "Here I am doing you a favor and this is how you respond? That temper of yours is hardly becoming of a Hero-in-training."

She started to get up. She had absolutely no patience for his brand of nonsense and sneering, boastful face today. "Trying to make me angry isn't going to do you any favors. It might just make me pound your face in more when I do fight you."

For just a second, she was certain she saw fear flicker across his eyes, as though he was capable of realizing he was dangerously close to crossing a line. He laughed, slightly nervously. "I'm glad you've got such confidence in my ability to win," he said. He took a bow. "And I suppose confidence in yourself as well, if you expect to move on. Not… entirely undeserved. I will say… some part of me would _relish_ the opportunity to properly face you in battle and properly show you just whose skills are superior. I might even thank you for letting me prove myself in such a fashion."

With that, he turned on his heels and walked off, leaving Katsumi alone again.

"What… what just happened?" she asked aloud. She was pretty sure there was some kind of half-hearted compliment buried under all of that bluster. And there was the food thing.

Sitting back down, she let out a puff of breath. The food did smell good and she was hungry. She'd burned a lot of calories using her Quirk during the first two rounds.

As much as she hated to admit it, he'd had a point. Whatever happened, it did her no good not to be at her best. As her papa noted, self-care was very important. She supposed even a stopped clock like Monoma was right twice a day.

She was happy to let Izzy have her spot. One thing both her parents had taught her was that she didn't have to prove anything to anyone except for herself, a lesson her dad admitted he'd learned the hard way. If she could act with a clear conscience, then they'd support her.

That did mean she wouldn't have the opportunity to fight Monoma. The blond rat just might make it a few rounds in, if he got lucky. She would have _really_ liked to have smacked him around a bit and not have to worry about getting in trouble for it.

But indulging in her desire to punch him in his stupid face would mean selling out Izzy. Maybe it was arrogant, but she knew she could take her if she wanted to. Izzy was strong as all get out, silk hiding steel. But she didn't have the kind of fighting instinct that Katsumi did, the sheer desire to _push_ beyond all limits.

"I really hope karma's watching," she muttered to herself. "Because I should be getting some _big_ points for this."

Mika waited until Shiro was sitting down at a table with Kana Tetsutetsu and Anime Fukidashi before she approached, plopping down next to him and putting an arm around him. "So, Shiiiiiiro," she trilled, "didja tell her?"

He gave her an incredulous look. "I have no idea what you're talking about." A lie. She could read him like a book. She knew where he was ticklish; he had no secrets from her.

"I _really_ wish you'd stop trying push Katsumi's buttons like that," Kana said. "One of these days she's just gonna slug you and I won't be around to pull your fat out of the fire."

Anime blinked her too-large eyes. "Do you know something we don't, Mineta?"

Mika fixed Shiro with a _look_. He couldn't possibly think he was hiding this. "Did you tell Kirishima-Bakugo that you're in love with her?"

Kana suddenly started choking on her drink, while Anime just started laughing, putting a hand over her mouth while she giggled and looking for all the world like a looped piece of animation. "Mika," Kana said, "you can't just make stuff up like that!"

"I… I don't know what you're talking about!" Shiro insisted, speaking quickly and stumbling over his words. "Why, the very idea…!"

Mika just kept giving him a look. Shiro was an incredibly smooth talker, but he couldn't talk his way around her. She was far too familiar with his particular strategies for misdirection. "Uh-huh."

In the face of this, he looked down, his shoulders slumping. "When did you find out? I thought I was being so careful! Did Akaya tell you?"

Akaya knew? Now that was interesting, but not exactly surprising. Akaya Koda was remarkably perceptive and hardly one for gossip. "She didn't tell me," she assured him. "I think we both know her better than to think she'd go spilling secrets, no matter how many exotic seeds you bribed her with."

But Shiro just looked so _beaten_ by the news that she knew his little secret that she couldn't help but feel bad about it, just a little. She gave her former boyfriend an affectionate little squeeze. "I'm pretty sure I knew before you did. I have special senses for all things sexy. And if it makes you feel any better, this was after we broke up. Pretty sure you weren't two-timing me or anything."

"Wait, you weren't joking, Mika?" Kana asked, having finally found her voice again. She fixed Shiro with one of her 'you're about to get smacked' looks. "_This_ is why you were watching her with the binoculars and sneaking around all the time? Not because of your stupid rivalry that only exists in your head? Were… did you make that origami explosive crane from last month? What the hell?"

"This is getting embarrassing," Anime said, a large sweat drop appearing next to her strawberry-blonde hair. Mika didn't even begin to understand how anything about her worked. She moved, faster than Mika's eyes could follow, shifting to a leaning forward position, elbows on the table, chin in her hands. Her eyes had somehow gotten even larger. "For Monoma! Please continue!"

"Yes, it's true, all right?!" Shiro snapped, probably louder than he'd meant to. All eyes were on their table for a moment as all other conversation in the cafeteria stopped.

"He's fine folks!" Mika said, giving everyone a disarming wave. "Kana just threatened to smack him again! He's admitting he deserves it!"

That got various head shakes and mutters, most of them about "Monoma being Monoma" and "probably deserved it." Most of the former came from others in 1-B, while the latter from 1-A. Either way, Shiro had enough of a rep that it was easily believable and no one followed it up.

"I was going to tell her," Shiro said. "After I'd proven myself at the Festival. I know she respects strength and doesn't think much of mine. Or me in general. So if I did well… then I thought I might stand a chance."

He frowned. "As it is… I'm likely to be eliminated by my second or third match at best. I might be able to beat Kocho, but my odds of survival go down dramatically after that. Hardly the victory I wanted."

Kana reached across the table and gave him a gentle knock on top of his head. "You get one non-steel smack for that," she said. "Because you're being an idiot, if you think that's how she thinks. Katsumi _recognizes_ strength, yes, respects it, yes, but that's not all she bases her life on, or even attraction. She's not going to be impressed by some kind of "prove yourself to her" display of strength."

_That_ was definitely true. Mika would hardly call Kirishima-Bakugo a friend, but her own finely tuned Sexiness Senses had been more than capable of picking up on the fact that the explosive girl had only had eyes for Izumi Todoroki for a long time. And while Todoroki had her own, quiet strength, it wasn't the kind Shiro was thinking of here. Of course, Todoroki was definitely asexual, so she could have told her that wasn't going to go anywhere, but she hadn't been about to get in the middle of that. That would have been a good way to get blown up.

"What am I going to do?" Shiro asked. He looked so utterly despondent, sadder than she had ever recalled seeing him.

"Okay," Mika said. "Time for the expert to weigh in…"

"No, no, no," Kana said, cutting her off. "As the only one at this table with any sense, let _me_ handle this."

Mika crossed her arms. "Well, sure, if you want to do things the boring way…"

"To the victors!" Takuma held up his water bottle and waited expectantly for his tablemates—Kimiko, Kenta, and Kocho—to raise theirs. Kimiko had insisted that Kocho join them. He and Kenta hadn't had any objections to that, and in any case, arguing with Kimiko was just a good way to get smacked. Kenta sat to his right, while the girls sat across from them.

Sure, he hadn't made it to the final round. Neither had Kenta. But he'd gotten to show off some of what he could do during the Obstacle Course. And he thought, even if he'd been eliminated, he'd done a pretty good job at Quirkball, lasting until the final seventeen. His Acid Tape had done a good job of ball and crowd control, keeping a few people stuck and catching a lot of balls right out of the air. He'd just gotten unlucky in the last part of it.

Too bad, really. His Quick was well suited for the Tournament Round, since he could have easily tied someone up or made the ground sticky or slick. Heck, just being able to let loose with a more acidic shot of Tape would have broken through a lot of defenses.

So he hadn't made it all the way. There was always next year. And none of it was going to stop him from adding "Obstacle Course Champion" to his Viewtube resume.

It beat Dad's first Sports Festival by a longshot though. One Sero getting flash frozen by a Todoroki was enough for a lifetime!

The others clanked their water bottles against his. "To the victors!"

"Seriously, though," Takuma said. "Really great job, ladies. I'm glad at least one of us made it."

"Figured it wouldn't be me," Kenta said. "I didn't even get to use my Quirk at all during the whole Second Stage. Maybe I ought to just stick with the showbiz thing instead."

"Hey, that's loser talk!" Kimiko said, trying to reach across the table to smack him, but Kenta leaned back and out of her reach. The sleeve of her uniform passed harmlessly through the air. "No fair!" she whined, pulling her arm back and crossing both over her chest. Takuma knew his invisible friend well enough to read her body language as petulant. "You need a smack for that!"

"Not that I'm agreeing with the smack part, bro," Takuma said, in-between bites of food, "but she's got a point. Your Quirk's great. Remember rescue training? You're, like, the literal jaws of life."

"What is your Quirk, exactly?" Kocho asked. The butterfly—no, moth, she's explained that—girl was sipping some kind of high nutrient smoothie, extending a long proboscis from her mouth to sip it up. She'd told them, somewhat embarrassedly, that she couldn't eat solid foods, just liquids, due to how her Quirk affected her anatomy. For Takuma, who'd grown up with a best friend who could and had eaten more things that he could even list, it made no difference. To say nothing of the things he'd dared his younger brother, Haruto, to eat when they were kids.

"I can, ah, I can eat anything," Kenta explained. "My teeth and jaws are super-strong and I can digest pretty much anything."

Kocho nodded at that. "Sounds useful to me," she said. "Though I guess not in Quirkball. Did you get anybody out?"

Kenta shook his head. "Managed to tag a few people, but not enough to eliminate them." He did manage a small smile though. "I did hit Kirishima-Bakugo once, though. So that's nice. I mean, she'll probably kill me later, but I did it."

"What's her deal anyway?" Kocho asked. "She's kind of scary."

Takuma had to laugh at that. "Calling her "kind of scary" is like calling Deku "kind of heroic." She's terrifying."

"She's… just intense," Kenta said. "Really competitive. Focused."

"She's no fun," Kimiko said. "I mean, maybe if she was good for a little gossip or something, but she doesn't date, doesn't ogle anybody, nothing worth sharing with anybody! How'm I supposed to work with that?"

"To be fair," Takuma said, "she hasn't actually killed anybody. That we know of, anyway. She mostly just yells. A lot. At everybody."

That wasn't really as comforting as he'd hoped it was.

"Speaking of gossip," Kimiko said, "where's your boyfriend?"

"With his sister," Takuma explained. "They're 'strategizing for the coming conflict ahead.'" He shrugged. "She's gonna be fighting Midoriya."

"Ooooh!" Kimiko squealed. "Lovers turned bitter rivals on the field of battle! Will it end in tears? Or perhaps a victory celebration later?"

"Lovers?" Kocho asked.

"You do know the camera's not running, right?" Kenta asked. "And I'm pretty sure they haven't even kissed yet."

Kimiko reached out across the table ineffectively again, trying to smack him. "What? You _know_ you're supposed to be filming when I get dramatic like that! What's wrong with you!?"

"I can't believe it!" Shota Shinso said. "You guys all made it! That's so _awesome_!"

For once, Isamu couldn't help but share in the purple-haired boy's enthusiasm. He'd taken a lot of hits during Quirkball, but he's also managed to survive and was going on to the Tournament Round, which was something he'd never expected to happen. He hadn't managed to make a fool of himself on national television and in front of an audience of hundreds of people, which was good. He could just picture his mom watching from home, his dad watching from the tiny black and white television he kept behind the counter of his convenience store, both of them cheering him on. He had to make them proud.

Shinso didn't even seem to care that he hadn't made it. What he wouldn't have given for that kind of confidence. But his friends probably all had internships waiting for them just on their names alone. He was the one who had to make a mark.

At least his first fight wasn't against anyone he knew. Some of his others might be, but at least he wasn't starting out with that. His opponent was going to be Sasuke Kido, who had been on his team during Quirkball. Kido's Quirk was Force Field, an energy field around his body that he could use defensively or form into solid objects. Against Isamu's speed, it was going to be an odd match up. His best shot lay in the fact that Kido couldn't do both at once: he could either protect himself or shape his force field into something to attack with. Isamu could work with that. He'd like to keep his ace in the hole for later, if he could, but that was an option if he had to.

"Sorry you didn't make it," he told Shinso. "I tried not to aim for people who weren't in our class, but…"

"All's fair in love and Quirkball," Tokoyami said. She's been extremely impressive during Quirkball, wearing Frog-Shadow around herself like a suit of armor, fighting defensively and only occasionally sending her familiar out to strike. It had worked really well, considering she'd finished with the second highest score in the second round.

"Don't worry about it," Shinso agreed. "I still get to watch all of you guys! I'll be cheering for everybody!"

No surprises there either.

"You doing all right, Izumi" Isamu asked.

He'd seen her medication routine plenty of times now, but it was always just a little shocking to see her take her pills. Some of them were very large and made his own throat close up just looking at them. And she'd worked herself to near exhaustion during both stages of the Festival. It had been a practical bonding moment between himself and Kirishima-Bakugo when they'd both brought Izumi to Doc Clock after the Second Stage. She'd been diagnosed with exhaustion and told to rest up as much as she could before her first fight in the Tournament. With her having done pretty well during Quirkball, it mean her Tournament round was a little late into things. Hopefully that would be enough time.

"As well as can be expected," she assured him, taking the last of her pills with a swig of water. "But my strength is returning. I am certain, though, my mother and Aunt Mei will wish to look at the workings of my regulator harness after this. It is performing its job quite well, but this is the first time it has been so thoroughly pushed."

"Makes sense," he agreed. And she did look a lot better, what color she had had returned to her pale features and she no longer seemed like she was going to pass out. "You nervous about fighting Kirishima-Bakugo?"

Izumi slurped noodles into her mouth before she spoke, seemingly weighing each word heavily in her mind. "I've known Katsumi all my life," she said. "She is exceedingly formidable, even without her Quirk. But I am hardly a novice with mine, even if I am less suited to grappling and "throwing down," as they say."

Izumi looked down for a moment, finishing the last of her food. "But that is not what I am worried about." She pushed back from the table and stood. "If you will excuse me?" she asked. "Asuka, Isamu, good luck to you both."

She looked like she was heading over to Kirishima-Bakugo's table.

"Any idea what's going on there?" Isamu asked Tokoyami. Asking Shota would have been pointless. The little guy was a good friend and enthusiastic, but not exactly quick on the uptake.

Tokoyami navigated a piece of food past her beak, before speaking. "Where those two are concerned… it is very complicated."

Isamu shrugged. He wasn't about to get in the middle of that. Izumi may have been his friend, but Kirishima-Bakugo scared the hell out of him. And their momentary truce to get Izumi some post-Quirkball help was likely long expired.

"Anybody see where Midoriya went?" he asked instead. "I figured he'd join us."

Shinso shook his head. "I saw him getting food, but I didn't see where he went."

"I think he was going to talk to Sora," Tokoyami said. "I saw him going off with her and her brother."

"Think he's going to be okay fighting her?" he asked. "She is his girlfriend."

"Why wouldn't he be?" Shinso asked. "What difference does that make?"

Tokoyami looked at Shinso for a long moment. "…We'll talk later. *chirp* But I suspect they'll work something out. Toshi is quite sensible."

"I sure hope so," Isamu said. "Gonna be a hell of a tournament…"

Izumi sat down across from Katsumi, waiting patiently for her friend to acknowledge her. An empty food tray next to her suggested that Katsumi had, at least, eaten something, which was good. She would be the first to admit that she was not always good with reading people, but, barring having apparently missed the signs of attraction for several years, she was generally pretty good at reading Katsumi. From the moment the Second Stage had ended and the results had been posted, she has seen a difference in Katsumi, something beyond the usual worry she usually expressed over her. Something was very wrong with Katsumi, but she could not tell what.

"Oh," Katsumi said, once she noticed her. She looked as those her mind was a million kilometers away. "Hey, Izzy. You look better."

"I am, thank you," Izumi said. When it became apparent that Katsumi was not going to engage in conversation without further prompting, she realized it was going to be up to her. "Are you going to tell me what is wrong? Or am I going to have to guess?"

Katsumi stared at her for what seemed like too long a moment. "It's nothing," she said. "Just got some stuff running through my head."

"Are you upset because you did not place first in either event?" Izumi asked. "You still managed to advance to the next rounds. And that is where placements are truly decided. You and I have both seem many reversals over the years in the final rounds."

"Nah, I know that ain't it. I mean, yeah, I wanted to do better, but I'll take it." Katsumi seemed cagey and evasive, as though unwilling to answer completely truthfully.

Katsumi stood, but did not look at Izumi. "Listen, Izz, I…" She trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words. Something Izumi never would have expected of her. Katsumi always spoke her mind. This reminded Izumi far too much of when Katsumi had confessed her feelings. But those feelings had been laid bare and they had reconciled in the face of them, determined to move forward. What else could there be?

"I gotta go, Izz," Katsumi said. "I'll see you in the arena, okay?"

She opened her mouth to protest, but closed it, then nodded. "All right," she said. "As you wish, Katsumi." She could have pressed the matter, certainly. But with so little time before the Tournament, perhaps that was not wise.

She wished she had better answers.

"So we are in agreement?" Sora asked. "We both give our best, no hard feelings, and then resume our natural girlfriend and boyfriend state afterwards?"

Toshi had been worried when his girlfriend had pulled him aside, along with her brother. Especially since he wasn't sure what fighting her would mean for their fledgling relationship. He'd hoped they could put it aside long enough to go against each other and it had turned out that Sora was already thinking the same way he was.

"We are," he agreed. "Can't go Plus Ultra if I'm worried about what will happen when I win."

"_If_ you win," Sora corrected. "But thank you, Toshi. I have enjoyed your company so far and would very much hate to lose it in the event of my victory."

And then she leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. For just a moment, Toshi was certain that the world had gone electric, lights exploding behind his eyes, and his face set ablaze. He was pretty certain he said something, but his language skills had been left somewhere far behind.

He came back into focus at the sound of Tensei clearing his throat. "As happy as I am to see that you have preemptively settled your differences," he said, "my sister and I require time to strategize before the Tournament. I am sure you understand."

"Yeah, I understanding the… thing that I gotta understand…"

He heard Sora giggle. "Good luck, Toshi! May the best woman win!"


	36. Chapt32: Round One--FIGHT!

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 32: The Sports Festival Part 5: ROUND ONE… FIGHT!**

"_All right, welcome back Sports fans, Pro-Heroes, and people watching at home! This is Present Mic, freshly fed and ready for the Tournament Round! Eraser here tried to escape during the break, but fortunately he was rounded up by his fellow teachers and returned to the broadcast booth!"_

"_Hn. Tell Hopper and Skyline I know where they live."_

"_I'll be sure to pass that on! Before we begin the first fights of the Tournament, Principal Nezu and Vice-Principal Midnight have asked me to issue the following reminder to any Pro-Hero Parents in the stands or VIP boxes that they are _not_ to interfere with the fights, no matter how much it looks like their kid is getting beat!"_

"_That means you, Red Riot."_

"_For those of you who have spent the last few decades on another planet, let me remind everyone how this is going to go! The top sixteen finalists will face off against each other in a series of one-on-one matches! They'll win by either knocking their opponent out of the ring or by otherwise rendering them unable to continue. Of course, competitors are allowed to withdraw at any time if the kitchen's getting too hot! Now that you know the rules, let's get this show on the road!_

"_First up is Shiro Monoma of Class 1-B in the Hero Course versus Koharu Kocho of Class 1-F of the General Studies Department! The Master Mimic vs the Moth Maiden! Let's get to it!"_

Koharu took a deep breath to try and steady her nerves, trying very hard to ignore the fact that there were thousands of people in the stadium and millions watching on TV, including some of the very best Pro-Heroes in the country. It had been one thing when it was the Obstacle Course or Quirkball. There, she'd been just one face in the crowd. But here, it was just her. Against a Hero Course student.

She wasn't an obsessive fangirl, but she could definitely recognize names associated with some of the higher ranked Heroes. And the name Monoma was definitely a familiar one. The Phantom Thief currently occupied the Number Eleven spot in the rankings. Any kid of a Hero ranked that high had to be pretty skilled and well-taught.

There were no Heroes in her family. Her uncle on her mom's side did work the night shift as dispatch and answering the phones in Might Tower, but that was about as close as she got.

But she'd worked hard and she'd practiced and she really had to remember that she'd very nearly gotten into the Hero Course. Would have, if not for a run of bad luck. This was her chance to make up for it.

"All right!" Hawkeye shouted, from the edge of the ring. "I want a good, clean fight! Remember, if you become overwhelmed, there is no shame is tapping out early! We will be closely monitoring the fight to make certain you don't do yourself or your opponent undue injury."

She raised a hand. "And fight!"

Monoma didn't wait, unfurling his Binding Cloth and slinging it out at her. Quickly, she flapped her wings, hard, stirring up enough wind to blow it back. He quickly reeled it in, then started rushing towards her. "Sorry to end a promising showing so early," he said, "but I _have_ to win!"

"You can try!" Koharu flapped her wings again, pushing off into the sky. She knew, on some level, that even with her impressive wingspan (nearly 3 meters), shouldn't be enough not allow her to fly, no matter how light she was, especially with how rarely she had to flap her wings. Nevertheless, fly she did, sailing over him as he executed a perfect flying kick.

As he hit the ground, she turned in mid-air, firing a volley of her String-Shot from her mouth, each blast of sticky stuff punctuated with a "Hack!" Monoma was good though, dodging and springing out of the way of each blob. He was fast and agile, but she had even greater mobility and just had to stay out of his range.

The Binding Cloth came out again, further than she thought it could go, wrapping around one of her legs! Caught by surprise, she found herself being yanked down closer to him, flapping her wings hard enough to slow it down, but not enough to keep from getting within striking range. He threw a punch, one that probably would have given her one hell of a headache, if she hadn't been able to dodge at the last moment. She took the blow to the shoulder instead, making her let out a cry of pain. But she brought both feet up and _kicked_, knocking him hard in the chest and loosening the Binding Cloth. She flapped hard again, gaining altitude once more.

That was too close. If she lost here, then it was all over. Sure, Hitoshi Shinso, the Voice, was a legend in the General Studies Department, having come in sixteenth in the Festival twenty-five years ago and still having made it to the Heroics Department. But that was a long time ago and the standards had changed. Losing her first fight wasn't going to cut it. She _had_ to win this. And that meant giving it her all, no matter what.

This time, once she had a little space, she flapped her wings hard, unleashing her Wing-Scales. Orange-yellow powder filled the air with each flap of her wings. This time she used her sleep powder rather than the paralytic she'd used during Quirkball.

"What're you…?" Monoma started, quickly realizing that he was beginning to slow down, slurring his words with drowsiness. He reacted quickly though, wrapping the Binding Cloth around mouth and nose to try and screen some of her Scales out. He couldn't possibly have had a chance to have taken a very big breath of clean air though…

Koharu flapped her wings hard again, filling the air with more sleep powder. Just enough to make it harder for him to take a clean breath. She swooped down, wings flapping hard, as she aimed right for him. Monoma dropped into a fighting stance, but she could tell his movements were dull and slowed. His guard was high, ready to protect his face from her fists, but she changed direction at the last moment, flying upwards, bringing her feet up to kick him hard, squarely in the chest.

It knocked what breath he had left out of him, sucking in her sleep powder instead. That much, that fast put him right out. He slumped to the ground, already snoring. Koharu flapped once, steadying herself, and then dropped back down to the ground. She'd done it. She'd actually done it!

"Monoma is unable to continue!" Hawkeye announced. "Kocho wins!"

"_WOW!" _came the voice of Present Mic. _"Score one for General Studies! Koharu Kocho takes the win! I think we've got one to keep an eye on, folks!"_

"_Not the best match up," _Eraserhead added, and for a moment she felt her sink. _"Monoma's Quirk was a poor match up against hers. Then again… almost everyone needs to breathe. A logical strategy. Midnight might like this one."_

Koharu took a moment to take in the cheers of the crowd and was surprised to find that it wasn't just coming from her class or the other General Studies courses. There were people cheering for her in the Hero Course seats too… and even in the rest of the stadium.

Maybe she'd just gotten lucky… but right now, this felt pretty good.

Kimiko Ojiro didn't know much about her opponent, Anime Fukidashi. Other than the obvious, of course, that she appeared to be a cartoon character and that she was the daughter of the Pro-Hero Comicman. Even her gym uniform appeared animated on her body. In fact, _everything_ she touched turned animated for as long as she held it. There was something unsettling about watching her move too, as though there was something missing from her movements, going from one position to the next just a little too quickly. She was aware of the irony of calling anyone else's appearance weird, but she couldn't help it. She was just invisible. This was _freaky_.

She needed to be careful how she played this, though. She really didn't know what exactly Fukidashi's Quirk did. She was friends with Mineta and Koda, apparently, but that was all she really knew. But her own Quirk was _extremely_ specialized. It offered a lot of stealth options, but not a lot of physical power. If she was going to do any attacking, that was purely reliant on training and skill.

Present Mic's voice cut through the noise of the crowd. _"And now for our next match, we have Kimiko Ojiro of Class 1-A and Anime Fukidashi of Class 1-B! It's a Hero Course showdown here for these two ladies! One's invisible, one's animated! Which visual will win out? Keep your eyes peeled, because this one's going to be hard to follow!"_

Kimiko and Fukidashi approached each other in the center of the ring. Both looked to Hawkeye. The teacher looked over both of them before speaking. "As you both have Quirks which provide visual distortion, be aware that we have sensors that will still detect if you step outside the ring when we can't visually confirm it. Other than that… FIGHT!"

"OMIGOSH!" Fukidashi said, little hearts floating around her head. "I love your blog! I never miss an episode! Is that cutie from the Support Course still single? Can you introduce me?"

Kimiko felt her face break out into a grin, despite the seriousness of the match. "Let me guess… otaku49?"

Fukidashi suddenly turned two dimensional and significantly less detailed, appearing almost as a rectangle with a rounded head. "How did you know?!"

"Lucky guess!"

Activating her Quirk, Kimiko turned the rest of her clothing invisible, completely disappearing from view. Not for the first time, she was grateful that she didn't have to get naked in order to use her Quirk to its fullest like her mom did. It would have just made things awkward, really.

She dropped low, doing a leg sweep that knocked Fukidashi off her feet. First points for her! Almost instantly though, she sprang right back up. "Hey!" she shouted, her head suddenly growing to giant size compared to the rest of her body. "What're you trying to do!? I was complementing you!"

Kimiko readied herself for another strike, when Fukidashi's head returned to normal size. "Ah, well," Fukidashi said, "guess we've got to fight." Her shoulders slumped and she let out a sigh, which manifested as a small cloud from her mouth. The cloud impacted Kimiko like a solid object, bowling her over!

Her concentration broken, Kimiko's clothes snapped back into visibility. "How the heck did you hit me?! I'm invisible!"

"Oh, that?" Fukidashi asked. "I just looked around until I could hear the background music. I knew that's where you had to be!"

Okay, she was officially crazy. She'd read about this in some of the medical books Doc Clock had lent her. Quirk-Induced Psychosis, where someone's Quirk so colored their perceptions on reality that it made it difficult for them to fit into normal society. Maybe she was reading too much into it, but…

She launched a flurry of kicks, one after the other. Fukidashi was good though, dodging them as fast she could. Suddenly, she reached behind her back and when she brought her hand back, she was holding a giant hammer! "Hiii-yaaa!" Fukidashi yelled, swinging the hammer in a wide arc. Kimiko ducked under it, rolling to avoid a follow-up strike that cracked the concrete of the ring. She quickly made herself invisible again.

She might have one shot at this. All she needed to do was get a hand on Fukidashi…

Fukidashi raised her hammer up again, looking around. "Now, where did you…"

Kimiko grabbed Fukidashi's ankle and activated her Quirk, turning _her_ invisible. When she made other people invisible, she could pull it back just enough to leave parts of their eyes visible so they could see… or she could just make them _all the way_ invisible. Fukidashi faded completely from sight.

"What did you…? I can't see! Wait… Aw, crap! _You Say Run_ is playing! _I'm going to lose!"_

You needed a very strongly developed sense of proprioception when you were invisible. Kimiko had a great one, having been invisible since she was born. Other people, typically, did not react as well. It gave her an opening. Rising up, she grabbed onto Fukidashi with her other hand and executed a judo throw that sent her out of the ring. As soon as she left Kimiko's grasp, she turned visible again, landing in a slump.

"Fukidashi is out of the ring!" Hawkeye said. "Ojiro wins!"

Kimiko let her clothes return to visibility again and took a bow.

"_Well that was… interesting! Did you follow any of that, Eraser?"_

"_All of it. Of course. Weren't you paying attention?"_

"_Next up," _Present Mic said, _"is another Hero Course showdown! Mika Mineta of Class 1-A and Yoru Kan of Class 1-C! Horn versus fang! Who will come out the winner?!"_

While some of her classmates may have been nervous, Mika definitely wasn't. She did well in her Heroics Classes and she had a highly useful Quirk, _especially_ for something like this. Her Pop-Horn and the sticky balls it could create had come in extremely handy during Quirkball, immobilizing several people on the opposing team and letting them be taken out easily. Combined with her inherited mutations, she knew she was a formidable opponent.

Plus she looked damn good. That had to count for something.

Not that her opponent was bad looking by any means. Yoru Kan was tall, probably nearly as tall as Akaya or Shoji, with skin nearly as white as snow, blood-red lips, and short-cropped red hair. She was also heavily muscled, the bulges of her arms and legs clearly defined by her uniform in a way that was… very distracting.

_Focus, Mika!_

Okay, so what was her Quirk exactly? She had little fangs poking out from her mouth. Biting powers? No, that probably wasn't it. Mika knew she was the daughter of the Pro-Hero and former U.A. teacher Vlad King. The Blood Hero had married a much younger woman, which had been something of a scandal at the time, according to articles that still circulated the internet. Mika wasn't one to judge in that regard. Unless it was weird or creepy. Or somebody just going after somebody older for their money. That was wrong. Unless it was a whole lot of money.

Right, focus. She needed to focus.

"Let's have a nice clear match, ladies," Hawkeye said. "FIGHT!"

"I vas warned about you," Kan said, baring those fangs of hers. "You vill not distract me with your vords."

Mika felt her jaw drop. _That_ was what she sounded like? "Okay, I could listen to you talk all day. But I'm kind of sort of seeing someone right now? It's an open relationship thing though, haven't really talked about all the details, so you know, I could probably make the time, if you wanted to?"

"Cease your babbling!" Kan roared, charging at her.

Mika's flirt, fight, or flight response kicked over to fight. She lowered her head, aimed her horns, and hired a volley of purple sticky spheres at Kan. Some would hopefully stick and immobilize her, but even if they didn't, they packed enough mass and speed to be a pretty effective projectile all on their own.

Unfortunately for her, as the balls neared her, Kan transformed into a shimmering cloud of blood-red mist, clothes and all (disappointing!), letting them pass harmlessly through her. The mist cloud neared Mika then reshaped itself back into Kan, who launched a punch that hit her hard in the midsection, knocking the breath out of her with a mighty _whomp_!

Kan struck out again with another punch, this one sending her flying. Mika landed hard, bouncing once, but she was still inside the ring. Her head was spinning though, making it hard to focus. Kan was coming at her again though, so she knew she had to act.

Kan was stronger than her, maybe faster, and the mist trick meant it would be hard, if not impossible, to use her Quirk on her. Fortunately, Mika had a secret weapon. She was strong and fast herself, but more importantly… she was _annoying_.

"So the mist thing," she said, running out to meet Kan, "can you feel anything when you're like that? Because I can think of at least six different uses for that. Can you work your way into _tight_ places? Are you cold or warm? Because I'm thinking either one would actually be pretty nice, but it does make a big difference!"

Kan swung a fist, a powerful blow made clumsier as Mika's words began breaking her focus. "Shut up! Shut up, you perverted freak! I vill make you shut up!"

Her follow-up blow was just as clumsy and Mika got a good kick in, her hoof connected solidly with Kan's chest. It was a shame she didn't have a lot of feeling in her hooves, a waste of perfectly good boob contact really, but it was what it was. A small price to pay for victory.

"Third base on the first date?" Mika laughed. "Who knew it was this easy?"

Kan let out an incoherent yell that would have done Kirishima-Bakugo proud, striking out again. Ready for it, Mika dodged and kicked. Kan did manage to turn partway to mist this time and her leg passed through her harmlessly. But Mika kept up the chatter. "Well, I guess I can always say I've been inside you now…"

"Vhy don't you _shut up?!_" Another wild blow, which Mika dodged, backpedaling away from it.

There she was, just enough space to aim… "You going to give me something else to do with my mouth, then?" Mika asked.

That set Kan off again, screaming with rage. And that was the moment Mika struck, firing off as many of her sticky balls as she could, filling the air with them. One by one they hit Kan, sticking to her, until she was completely covered in them, leaving only parts of her face exposed, just enough for her to breathe. The multiple impacts must have had an effect on her, because her words were slowed and slurred, punch-drunk. "At least… I no longer have… to listen… to you."

And then she fell over.

For a minute, there was silence. And then Hawkeye spoke up. "Kan is unable to continue! Mineta wins!"

"_I… don't feel good about having seen that," _Present Mic said. _"I kind of feel like I want a shower_."

"_Being a Hero is about using every skill you have to your advantage," _Aizawa replied. _"Mineta was able to do that quite successfully. And don't think I don't know that you're cheering up in the teacher's box, Midnight."_

"How long is she going to be stuck like that?" Hawkeye asked her, pointing to Kan's immobilized form.

Mika shrugged. "Kind of varies. At least an hour though. Maybe more."

Hawekeye just sighed in an "I don't get paid enough for this" sort of way as the medical robots came to collect Kan. "I'll see if Power Loader can't develop a solvent."

Still, Mika really hoped that if her dad was watching, it wasn't with the sound or she was due for a loooong and awkward conversation at home.


	37. Chapte 33: Round Two - FIGHT!

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 33: The Sports Festival Part 6: Round Two—FIGHT!**

Toshi's first fight was still a few matches away and for the moment, all of Class 1-A except for Haimawari (whose fight was up after the next one) were seated in the stands. The fights so far had been amazing and intense and even though he wasn't _quite_ as fascinated by Quirks as his dad, he'd made sure to take plenty of notes so they could talk about all of it later. He wasn't so drawn into his own little world though, that he didn't notice that Katsumi and Izumi weren't sitting together. Which was very unusual. They'd been getting along fine as recently as before lunch.

Unfortunately, he suspected he knew the answer. The two of them were going to be matched up against each other in the Tournament. And while Izumi probably had no problems fighting Katsumi, he wasn't so sure it worked in the other direction. He thought Katsumi had worked everything out after her talk with Izumi, but maybe she hadn't. And while he may not have had the strongest sense of self-preservation in the universe, even he knew better than to poke that hornet's nest. Trying to mediate that would only lead to trouble.

On the other hand, there was a lot to think about from the fights so far. Koharu Kocho, the moth-girl from the General Studies Course, had definitely done a number on Shiro Monoma. Her Quirk gave her a lot of different and useful abilities, which made him wonder how she'd missed out on making it into the Hero Course. The Hero classes were normally sixteen strong, but it wasn't a hard and fast rule. If there were more qualified applicants, then they just expanded the classes. So what had gone wrong there? He could ask her that later, if he had the opportunity. He'd watched the Sports Festival for years with his dad and between the two of them, they'd gotten pretty good at figuring out which General Studies kids were going to make it into the Hero Course. He had a good feeling about her.

Of course, that meant there was a chance he'd be fighting her later. He'd have to remember to hold his breath as much as he could. His gravity-jumps could probably keep up against her flying, but that sticky stuff of hers was going to be a problem too…

Kimiko Ojiro's fight against Anime Fukidashi had been hard to follow and it _really_ made him want to know more about how exactly Fukidashi's Quirk worked or what exactly it even was. She'd demonstrated transformation, weapons generation, even some kind of solid air blast. Add in the fact that she seemed to be some kind of living cartoon and he didn't even know where to start analyzing it. But Ojiro had managed to overcome all of that, which was impressive too. She was a good martial artist and the invisibility thing made for perfect stealth. If he fought her, he'd have to be careful.

And then there was Mika Mineta's fight against Yoru Kan. He was pretty sure he wouldn't fall for any of Mineta's tricks like that, but really, when it came to Mineta, no one could say what she would do. The important thing was not to underestimate her. She acted the fool, but she was definitely smarter than she let on.

Down on the field, the next fight was starting.

_"And now for our next round!" _Present Mic announced. _"From Class 1-C comes the wheeled-wonder, Yui Aoki! From Class 1-B, the top traffic cop, Kimiko Dashi! Keep your eyes peeled, everyone, because I think this one's going to be quick!"_

Aoki was a red-haired girl and looked normal from the waist up. Below, though, her legs merged together around a large wheel. She'd been one of the front-runners during the obstacle course, moving nearly as fast as Haimawari. Dashi had striped hair of red, yellow, and blue, and wore what looked like a traffic signal over her right arm. If he remembered right, she could project similarly colored beams from it and speed things up or slow them down.

Yeah, Present Mic was right. This was definitely going to go quickly.

After Hawkeye gave them the signal to begin the fight, Aoki revved back and then shot forward. But just as quickly, Dashi fired a beam of red light from her hand. The beam struck Aoki and immediately froze her in place.

"Do you think there is a time limit?" Sora, who was sitting to his left, asked. "The energy requirements to complete halt kinetic energy on that level would have to be significant."

"Probably," Toshi agreed. "I saw her doing it a few times during the Obstacle Course and Quirkball too. It didn't seem to last too long any time. Just enough to be useful."

"Wow!" Shota, who was to his right, said. "Look at them! She just stopped her flat! Can you imagine the Villains she could catch?!"

"Great Quirk," Toshi agreed, leaning slightly forward to keep watching.

Dashi quickly stepped out of the way, then hit Aoki with a blue-colored beam of energy. This time, it appeared to super-charge Aoki's speed, propelling her far faster than she'd be on her own and sending her right out of the ring.

"Aoki is out of bounds!" Hawkeye announced. "Dashi wins!"

_"I told you that was going to be a fast one, folks!" _Present Mic announced. _"But as another one bites the dust, we continue on!"_

"All right!" Shota shouted. "Haimawari's up next!"

"Just remember not to cheer too loud," Toshi said. "We don't want you bringing down the stands or anything."

"Aw," Shota said, looking down, "that only happened one time!"

_"Next up is Isamu Haimawari of Class 1-A! You saw him come in first during the Obstacle Course, but now he's up against Sasuke Kido of Class 1-B! Unstoppable force meets immoveable object! A clash of opposites, right before our eyes! ARRRE YOU READY, Eraser?!"_

_"Yes. Yes, I am."_

_"Could you sound less enthusiastic?"_

_"I'm willing to try."_

Isamu stepped into the ring and gulped hard. Kido was shorter than him by a couple inches, but more muscular. He had red hair and was shimmering slightly in the sunlight, an orangish-glow surrounding him: his force field. That was going to be hard to get past. But he'd knocked bigger over during training. He just needed to get enough speed up first. The ring wasn't big, but if he could keep moving…

"Both of you ready?" Hawkeye asked. When they both nodded, she stepped back and yelled, "FIGHT!"

Kido took a step forward, but didn't seem inclined to make the first move. He didn't have to, not really. His Quirk required a lot less mobility than Isamu's did. So it was up to him to strike first. Of course, it was. Isamu took a deep breath, dropped to all fours, and launched himself towards Kido.

Kido's reaction time was good though, forming his force field into a staff and swinging it in a wide arc as Isamu got closer. Fortunately, his own reaction time was just as good and he fired a blast of reverse thrust, propelling himself just out of range of the swing.

Then, he gave himself another forward push, ready to shoulder check Kido. Kido, though, switched back to a force field and bent his legs slightly, bracing himself. Isamu slammed into it and bounced off, thrown back a few feet.

"You're going to have to do better than that," Kido said, following up with an attack, his force field formed into a mace. He swung again and Isamu pushed to the side, dodging subsequent blows by moving to the left or right with his Quirk. He could "push" himself in any direction, reacting with incredible speed. Kido was strong and those force field constructs looked like they would hurt if they connected, but right now, that was a pretty big if.

Granted, it didn't give Isamu a lot of space to attack either. And if Kido shifted to guarding rather than attacking again…

Isamu saw an opening and applied a careful stream of force, just from his left hand. With his other limbs in neutral, it set him spinning and he brought his legs around, slamming his legs into Kido's. The blow took the force-field wielder by surprise and knocked him down, but left them both tangled. Before Isamu could get away, Kido moved first, getting up and grabbing the front his uniform as he did. He lifted Isamu off the ground.

"Got you now," Kido said, drawing back a fist, his whole body glowing with his force field.

"Oh, no you don't!" Isamu yelled. He took a desperate gamble and planted his feet and his left hand on Kido's force field. With a grunt, he ignited his Quirk and pushed off. His Quirk treated the force field like a contiguous solid object and he went up and over… and since Kido was holding onto him, he got dragged along, flipped and slammed hard on his back on the ground. Unfortunately, he still had his force field up, so while Kido was rattled, he wasn't knocked out. He was back on his feet in a flash.

Isamu propelled himself backwards out of fist range, circling around. They were both tiring, but neither was giving up. Between his speed and Kido's guard, all it would take would be someone getting lucky once, taking an opening the other didn't see. They were still close enough to the middle of the ring for his next idea to work though. Kido's force field was protective, but the fact that he'd been able to flip him and trip him up suggested it was purely that, lacking any anchoring capabilities…

He applied more speed, carefully modulating his output with quick bursts of power from different hands and feet. Faster and faster he went, circling Kido again and again until he was nothing but a blur. Only his goggles allowed him to see well enough here, even with the reflexes and enhanced perceptions that came with a speed Quirk, he needed that little boost against the wind he was kicking up. Kido was struggling to try and follow him, occasionally striking out with a punch, but always where he had been, not where he was.

Finally, when he'd disoriented his opponent enough, Isamu rushed forward. Kido didn't even bother to get out of the way, putting up his force field as a strong guard. As he got closer to Kido, Isamu threw out his other arm and slapped a palm against Kido's force field. And then he extended his repulsive field out all his limps at once. The pulse pushed him backwards, hard… but it was also a powerful enough kick to send Kido sailing back too, lacking any anchoring to go with his force field.

Maybe too powerful a kick! Isamu very nearly went out of the ring, but he was able to apply his Quirk's adhesive powers, clinging to the concrete of the ring just before he went out. Kido wasn't so lucky. Isamu's push had been strong enough knock him _just_ outside the ring. Not much. But enough.

"And Kido is out of bounds!' Hawkeye announced. "Haimawari wins!"

"**_GO HAIMAWARI!_**" Shinso's voice, probably empowered by his Quirk, somehow cut through the roar of the crowd. It cut itself off pretty quickly, so Midoriya or Tokoyami probably reigned him in.

So he'd come in "first" in the Obstacle Course, survived Quirkball, and won his first match in the Tournament Round. He was _definitely_ still in a "set on fire" induced coma and still back in the medical wing.

_"YOW! That was one fast-paced fighting frenzy! Talk about your high-speed action!"_

_"Sound strategy on Haimawari's part. And do try to control yourself, Shinso."_

_"Next up is a rivalry for the ages! Izumi Todoroki and Katsumi Kirishima-Bakugo! If their father's rivalry is anything to go by, this should be one heck of a match! Two classmates, locked in battle! Fire and ice against explosions! It's gonna get _hot_ down there!"_

_"I'm hoping these two have more sense than that, myself."_

_"Aw, where's the fun in that?"_

Katsumi stepped into the ring and watched Izzy do the same on the other end. Hawkeye was about to give them the signal to fight when she raised a hand, having finally made up her mind on what she was going to do. "Nope, nope, nope," she said. "Not gonna fight Izzy. I'll just go ahead and withdraw and save everybody the trouble."

Katsumi would have sworn that the air suddenly got several degrees colder. Then again, with Izzy, it probably had. She looked over at her friend and actually took a step back. She had _never_ seen Izzy look that angry before. Hell, she wasn't entirely sure she'd _ever_ seen Izzy look angry before. Not at anyone and especially not at her. But right now, if looks could kill, she'd be dead. She was honestly a little impressed. Katsumi had thought she'd cornered the market on angry glares.

"_Fight me_!" Izzy demanded, taking a step forward, fists tightly clenched. Her entire tiny body seemed to be trembling with rage.

"Izz, I can't…" Katsumi began, her heart pounding in her chest.

"_Fight me!"_ Izzy insisted again. Katsumi wasn't sure she'd ever heard Izzy at this volume before. "Would you fight Toshi?"

"Of course, I would!" Katsumi shot back. "I've been scrapping with him all my life!"

"And what about Tetsutetsu? Would you fight her?"

Katsumi frowned, not liking where this was headed at all. "Kana? Damn right, I would."

"Then why will you not fight me?" Izzy growled. The temperature dropped another few degrees.

"Ladies…" Hawkeye began. "Are we going to be fighting today?"

Izzy pointed at her and it felt like a knife in her heart. "I am not some fragile china doll in need of constant protection! I will not shatter in the wind if you fight me! If you are truly my friend, if you truly respect me… then _fight me_, _dammit_!"

In spite of it all, Katsumi found herself laughing, nearly bending over double as the laughter broke the tension like a rubber band snapping. Did Izzy just _swear_ at her? When was swearing a thing Izzy did? "Damn, Izz. Where'd you learn to talk like that?"

"I learned it by watching you."

That got another laugh from Katsumi. But Izzy was right. Maybe her head wasn't still screwed on right when it came to her. You didn't fall out of love with a person that fast or that easy. But she'd always thought of Izzy as someone who needed her, someone who needed protection. Soft and fragile Izzy, who'd she'd always looked out for and who she would try and move mountains for.

Izzy, who she'd never actually asked if she needed or wanted the protection. Izzy, who always excelled in her training, even when Katsumi wasn't there to watch over her. Izzy, who pushed beyond her limits, even when her limits might be more than the limits of others.

Izzy, who she claimed to love and respect more than almost anyone else in the world… and whose wants she hadn't even thought of. Would she have been happy being handed a victory like this? Never. Then she owed her friend the same respect.

"Fine then," Katsumi said. She dropped into a fighting stance and brought one hand up, palm up, bringing her fingers in. "You wanna fight? I'll fight you, Izz."

"Wonderful," Hawkeye said, making it clear her patience had just about been at an end. "Now that that's settled… FIGHT!"

Katsumi was expecting ice. She was prepared for ice. It was Izzy's go-to move; she preferred to rely on her ice to contain or restrain when possible, only using her fire when necessary. She got the heat for her fire by creating ice anyway, but now, Katsumi noticed the bands of Izzy's regulator rig were blinking bright orange. She must have made some ice beforehand, storing up heat for the fight.

That gave her a split-second's advantage when Izzy unleashed a powerful blast of flame. She slid under it, grabbing a small chunk of rubble from one of the earlier fights with her left hand and using her Quirk on it. As she came up, she gave it a toss so that it landed at Izzy's feet, where it exploded with more bang than bomb, just enough to get Izzy to shriek and get moving.

But Izzy stayed on the offensive, pointing, and Katsumi felt the temperature around her feet drop a half-second before the ice started to form. She let out a growl and jumped, landing next to Izzy and coming out swinging.

_Crack!_ Her blow actually connected with Izzy's face, snapping her head around. But it didn't knock her down. Recovering faster than Katsumi would have expected, Izzy swung her arm in a wide arc and released a sphere of ice, nearly the size of a bowling ball. They were too close for her to dodge and the ball of ice smacked her right in the face. It nearly knocked her over and she felt the blood dripping down her face; her nose was probably broken.

Izzy put a hand to her mouth, shocked at the damage she had done. But Katsumi didn't begrudge her the damage. It wasn't the first time her nose had been broken and it wouldn't be the last. She wiped away the blood again and put on her best feral grin. She got herself back in the fight, going after Izzy with another punch.

It put Izzy on the defensive, letting out a small gasp, but she put up a wall of ice between them and Katsumi let out a cry of pain at her knuckles impacted the cold wall. But she also passed her Quirk on to it, giving it another strike that let it explode, sending chunks of ice flying. One of those struck Izzy as she was darting away, hitting her in the back and sending her down to her knees.

_No!_ Part of her brain rebelled. It wanted her to rush to Izzy's side, to make sure she was okay. Another part of her brain argued against it, telling her not to embarrass Izzy in front of everyone like that, that this fight was what she wanted.

Izzy settled the problem for her, scrambling back to her feet. Katsumi felt the sudden temperature change that more ice was incoming, but the form of it, combined with her distraction, took her by surprise. A pillar of ice formed under her feet, rapidly rocketing her upward. Then, Izzy followed up with a blast of flame, slicing right through the pillar and sending Katsumi tumbling down to Earth.

She _really_ needed to figure out better uses of her Quirk, she realized, maybe even some kind of support equipment. Dad could use his to fly, attack at a greater distance, all kinds of things. She had to touch something to make it blow up and her range was only as far as she could throw it. And that was it.

Not nearly the kind of utility she needed against Izzy going all out.

She had never really realized just how powerful Izzy was before. _And to think, I was protecting her…_

She rolled when she hit the ground, trying to distribute some of the kinetic energy involved. It still hurt like hell, but she was still fighting. She hit the ground with a palm again, forcing her Quirk out and into it. Seconds later, a column of explosions shot towards Izzy, knocking her off her feet.

Quickly getting up, Izzy unleashed staccato blasts of flame, forcing Katsumi to dodge left and right, back and forth. And then she shifted to ice, pointing with a flourish and filling the air with more hard-packed ice balls. The first of these slammed into her, shoulders, stomach, and chest. She withstood the barrage, keeping herself on her feet through sheer willpower and reached out, grabbed a pair of the ice balls in flight. She used her Quirk on them and threw them back at Izzy. The first—and she winced at this—struck Izzy dead on, a concussive explosion that halted her attack and knocked her down. The second hit the ground next to her, an explosion of mostly light and noise, keeping her from getting to her feet. Izzy faltered for a moment, staying there on the ground.

Katsumi got unsteadily to hers, grabbing a chunk of ice and readying herself to use her Quirk on it as she approached Izzy. "Izz…" she started. Was she breathing? Was she out cold? _What if she'd really hurt her? What if she'd killed her?_

Dammit, she was hesitating again. Izzy got to her feet just as unsteadily as Katsumi had. They'd been knocking each other around pretty hard. She was definitely going to be sore tomorrow, that was for sure.

"No regrets?" she asked Izzy.

"No… none," Izzy said. She'd lost her ponytail at some point, her head now framed by a halo of white hair that went red further down and she sported a nasty looking bruise on her pale cheek. She had done that. She'd done that. She'd done that to Izzy. She probably looked quite the sight herself, though that bothered her considerably less.

"Good," Katsumi said, with a confidence she did not entirely feel. She tossed the ice block with all her might.

Izzy was just as quick on the draw, shooting a rapidly expanding solid stream of ice from her hand. The icicle struck out, hitting Katsumi in the head, hard enough to make her see stars, and knocking her down again, while she saw the bombified chunk of ice she'd thrown at Izzy explode, knocking her down again as well.

As she struggled to get up, Katsumi placed both hands on the ground and sent out her Quick, creating a massive explosion between herself and Izzy. Through the smoke and flames, she saw Izzy forming a makeshift ice shield, but she didn't have the strength anymore to make it solid enough and it shattered, bombarding Izzy with shards of ice that knocked her back down.

Katsumi tried to get up. Oh, how she tried. But right now, the ring was spinning and her legs didn't seem to want to support her. She tried to turn her head and focus. Was Izzy okay…?

It looked like Izzy was on one knee, trying to get back up. Well, that was a little better than Katsumi was doing… And she realized the temperature was dropping again, saw Izzy gritting her teeth in concentration. There was a sharp crackle and then great, cold weight on her back, a giant block of ice, pinning her down. If she could just touch it…

Maybe she just needed to lie here for a little while? Katsumi tried to get back up again, straining try and lift the ice block off of her, and slumped down. Yeah, staying here sounded really good…

"Kirishima-Bakugo is unable to continue!" Hawkeye announced. "Todoroki wins!"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Izzy unleashing another blast of flame skyward, all the bands on her regulator rig bright red. And then she saw Izzy collapse too…! She tried to get up again, but had no power in her limbs…s

_"Well, those two certainly pushed themselves to their limits and beyond! We'll take a brief break to get them off the field and then be back for more action!"_

_"Irresponsible and overly dramatic… I don't know why I was expecting anything different."_


	38. Chapter 34: Round Three -- FIGHT!

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 34: The Sports Festival Part 7: Round Three—FIGHT!**

"Yay, she's waking up!"

Katsumi's eyes sprung open and she found herself staring into the wide-eyed face of a little blond five year old. Her younger brother, Tai. Instantly, he threw his arms around her and squeezed her tight. "Yay! You're okay!"

Slowly, she put her arms around him. Everything kind of hurt right now. "Easy there, Squirt," she said. "I still kind of feel like I got run over by a train."

Reluctantly, he pulled his arms away. But it only sullied his cheery demeanor for a moment. "Sorry, Big Sister! But I was so worried about you! Papa and Daddy were too!"

"He's right," a voice from the foot of the bed said. Katsumi looked past Tai to see Dad and Papa standing there. Papa looked visibly relieved. Dad looked like he was trying hard to hide how worried he'd been and was mostly succeeding.

"You have us quite the scare, Kid," Dad said. "I had to keep your papa here from rushing the stage."

Papa turned nearly as red as his hair, turning to look at Dad with indignation. "So I got a little worried! I'm allowed! It's my right as a parent!"

"It's your right to be a dumb…butt," Dad said, quickly correcting his last word, since he was in front of Tai.

It was only then that Katsumi realized she was in the Infirmary. It all came back to her in a rush, the fight, the numerous chunks of ice she'd taken to the head, the things she and Izzy had said to each other. She was certainly never going to underestimate Izzy like that ever again.

Wait.

"Izzy!" she shrieked, bolting up to a fully seated position, making Tai jump in surprise. She was probably lucky it didn't make him explode. His Quirk to explode himself and reform was on something of a hair-trigger. Dad was teaching him to control it, but accidents still happened. "Is she…?"

"She's fine," Dad said. "IcyHot just texted me before you woke up. Just exhausted herself. You two smacked each other around pretty good."

Papa crossed his arms over his chest. "You gave us quite a shock, young lady," he said, attempting to look stern and failing at it, like he always did. He threw his hands up into the air. "Almost throwing in the towel like that! What were you thinking? What happened to your Wo-Manly pride?"

Katsumi looked down for a moment. She'd almost done that, hadn't she? Out of some kind of misguided sense of… something. "Yeah, well, just needed a few things pounded into my head, I guess."

"Speaking of pounding your head, don't worry," Dad said. "Eri already fixed your nose and wound back some of your other injuries. You'll be scrapping again in no time and still prettier than me.."

"Such a Manly display!" Papa added, his disappointment in her already forgotten. "Both of you, giving it all your fighting spirit! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!"

Dad gave him a punch in the arm, getting a yelp out of Papa. "Settle down, you." He shook his head. "But we are proud of you, Kid. You made the right decision, fighting. Still, now I owe IcyHot ¥5000. So that's your next several allowances." Only the twitching of his lips betrayed that he was probably kidding about that last part.

"You made a bet on our daughter!?" Papa shrieked, placing a hand over his heart. "Bakubabe, how could you?"

"Relax," Dad said. "IcyHot didn't technically agree to it anyway…"

"I'm sorry you lost, Big Sister," Tai said, looking so forlorn and sad about it that it took everything Katsumi had not to laugh.

Dad came up to him and bent down so he was at eye level with Tai. "Hey, what'd we talk about, Champ?"

"That Big Sister tried her best and gave it her all! And that she'll try even harder next time! And then she'll win!"

"Right!" Dad said. "So no frowning, okay?"

"Okay!"

"Do I get a say in this?" Katsumi asked. Not that she didn't appreciate the vote of confidence, of course.

As one, Dad and Tai both said, "No!"

So she hadn't won. Hadn't even cracked the top eight finalists. Top sixteen, sure. But not nearly as good as she'd have liked. Dad had come in the top three all three of his years at U.A. Papa had done better than she had too. Maybe she wasn't as good as she thought she was?

No, she couldn't go down that line of thought. She'd been ready to throw in the towel without even trying and come out of that pit motivated to fight as hard as she could. One blow different, maybe one or two different moves, maybe she'd have been the one coming up on top. The important thing was that she'd done the Wo-Manly thing and fought to the very end. That was what she had to keep in mind. And maybe now she'd be able to fight with a clearer head if she was ever up against Izzy again.

"They gonna let me out of here to go see the rest of the show?" she asked. "I wanna see more of the girl that kicked Monoma's… butt." Right. Gotta watch the language around Tai. "Plus Izzy. Did the math. Whoever won was gonna get to kick the Newb around the ring for a while. Sorry it ain't me. I'd say she'd go soft on him, but she sure as heck didn't on me…"

Papa nodded. "Eri said you were good to go when you woke up."

"But you are supposed to take it easy the next couple days," Dad added, his tone of voice suggesting he didn't believe she would. "Which is why Tai's going to be on guard duty."

Tai drew himself up to his full height, proudly. "I'll be the best bodyguard ever!"

Katsumi reached over and tussled his hair. "Sure you will, Squirt."

It had taken them a bit to clear the rubble and ice that Katsumi and Izumi's fight had created, with FireFox melting away the ice and Power Loader and a couple Support Class students clearing away the rubble. So by the time Toshi stepped into the ring, it was practically fresh.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, ignoring the sounds of the crowd. As the son of the Number One Hero, he'd been in the public eye since he was a baby. Before he was born, really. It was easy enough to tune it out. And he was definitely going to need his wits about him for the fight ahead. He wasn't bothered by fighting his girlfriend from a relationship-damaging point of view. No, he was worried about it because his girlfriend was a) crazy brilliant, b) crazy fast, and c) crazy unpredictable. It made it _very_ hard to figure out what Sora was going to do next under normal circumstances, let alone in a fight.

"_And now, it's another Class 1-A showdown!" _Present Mic announced. _"Toshinori Midoriya and Sora Iida! One a master of gravity, the other an aerial ace! Will this battle be won in the skies or down on the ground? Only one way to find out!"_

"_Just tell me someone has All Might accounted for_."

That was a bit unfair, Toshi thought. Grandpa Might hadn't tried spying on him a few weeks now. That he knew of, anyway.

Hawkeye looked back and forth between him and Sora. "Remember the flight ceiling rule," she told both of them. "We've got cameras and range-finders set up to catch anything. Other than that… FIGHT!"

"My apologies, Toshi, but this victory will be mine!" Sora shouted, before launching herself at him like a missile, the Jetpack pipes on her back firing.

Toshi knew he only had a couple of seconds to act and brought his own gravity down to almost nothing, leaping over Sora just before she impacted with him. "Don't be so sure about that!" he said, as he turned in midair, landing facing the other direction. She executed a tight turn to keep herself from going out of the ring.

Sora came at him again. He couldn't help to match her speed flat out, but so long as he acted in time, he could keep out of her reach. Each time he forced her to turn around, he gained a few precious seconds to think and formulate his own strategy. He leapt over her again, steadying himself for the next go round.

She was racing for him again, her Jetpack still firing strong. Toshi wasn't sure what Sora's limits were, didn't know how long she could keep this up. But he'd seen her fly for long stretches before during training and they hadn't even hit that amount of time yet. It made outlasting her a dicey proposition at best and foolish at worst.

This time, when he jumped, he twisted in mid-air again, not to adjust his landing, but to give him a chance to grab her. His hand snapped out, grabbing her ankle. Of course, he was still near-weightless at the time, so he was dragged along as she kept flying.

"Be careful," Sora said, executing a tighter turn than before. "I would hate to see you go flying!"

Instead of a straight path, she jerked back and forth, zigzagging to try and dislodge him. Toshi had to close his eyes to keep from throwing up. He didn't have Mom's problems with nausea, but that didn't mean he couldn't just flat out get motion sickness.

Concentrating, he increased his gravity to three times its normal amount, his feet making cracks in the ground as they impacted with it. Still holding on to Sora, he fought against her pull as she increased the power to her Jetpack, a great blast of flame nearly singing him. It quickly got the point where he had to increase his gravity more and dig in his heels… and even then, he was slowly being dragged across the ring, digging great gouges in the concrete!

So he did the only logical thing. He let go.

Sora shot forward like a rocket, no longer impeded by his increased gravity. At the last second before she would have gone out of the ring, she tilted sharply upward, flying up into the air, before circling around to come at him again.

This time, Toshi tried to meet her head on. He brought his gravity back down to nearly nothing, took several steps back, and then, with a running start, jumped into the air. Unaffected by gravity's pull, it was like being fired out of a canon. Seconds before impacted with Sora, he increased his gravity, turning himself into a human canon ball.

_POW!_

His fist slammed into his girlfriend's torso with considerable force, causing her to cry out. Toshi bounced off, falling back to the ground, and springing back up again. This time, she was faster, accelerating forward to meet him, striking him hard enough to break his concentration, restoring his gravity and making him fall. He recovered in time to bounce back up again, this time hitting Sora hard enough to make her fall. As he drifted back to the ground, she righted herself, flying back at him and clipping him with her fist as she went by.

And so it went, blow after blow, each of them nearly falling flat but recovering to strike at the other. But on his last bounce, rather than trying to strike her, Toshi grabbed on, heavily increasing his gravity.

Entangled with Toshi, her Jetpack flared, trying to support both their weights, then sputtered, faltered, and failed, sending them both falling towards the ground. "I am _really_ sorry about this, okay?" he said. "But we said no regrets!" Perhaps just a bit reluctantly, he let Sora go and decreased his own gravity again, floating down.

Sora stopped herself though, her Jetpack Quirk firing in one quick burst before she hit the ground. She landed awkwardly, but was on her feet quickly, ready by the time Toshi landed.

"That," she said, "could have hurt! But I am willing to forgive you!" Still on foot, she raced towards him and then activated her Quirk.

He wasn't expecting it. Sora's Quirk was primarily flight-based; he hadn't even thought of her activating it on the ground. But with it accelerating her body and his own gravity at normal, it added enough power to his punch to snap his head around and have him seeing stars.

Again and again, Sora struck him, punches given extra rocket-propulsion by her Quirk. If she wasn't using it to punch the stuffing out of him, he'd have been impressed by her ingenuity. He just needed to get his head on straight for a second, so he could use his.

And…_there_. Sora's punches were slowing down; she must have been overheating her Jetpack after that much use. It gave Toshi the moment he needed, amplifying his gravity several times over. Sora's next blow struck home, but bolstered by his enhanced gravity, he barely felt it. Surprise rose on her face and she pulled her hand back, clutching her knuckles with her other hand.

There. This was his moment. Toshi struck out with a right handed blow, a Smash-worthy punch that would have done Grandpa Might proud. He hit Sora dead on, spinning her around like a top, until she fell to the ground unconscious.

…He _really_ hoped she'd been serious about the "no regrets" thing. Or that Tensei or Uncle Tenya wouldn't be too mad at him.

"Iida is unable to continue!" Hawkeye announced. "Midoriya wins!"

"_Talk about your high-speed fights!" _Present Mic cheered. _"I hope they got that on the slow-motion replay, because that was a rush!_"

"_At least this Midoriya isn't breaking any bones."_

"Absolutely not," Mother said. Worry marred her features, and Izumi could see that she had been crying. "You nearly collapsed during the Obstacle Course, had to be helped off the Quirkball field, and then you _did_ collapse fighting Katsumi. We can't allow you to keep up this kind of pace."

Izumi frowned, uncertain of how to respond, the silence broken only by the slight deep of the monitoring machines Doctor Izumi had hooked her up to. It was true, she had pushed herself to her limits during the Festival so far, perhaps even a bit beyond them. But was the school motto not "Plus Ultra"? Still, it had felt good, giving her all, using her abilities to their fullest, even as her body had ached and she had felt exhaustion working its way into her every cell. She felt… not cold, but not hot either. So much heat had passed through her body; if not for her regulator rig, she very likely would have burned up, maybe even taken someone with her. But she had pushed through it and fought. And won. Against Katsumi, one of the fiercest fighters in their class.

Her cheek still stung where Katsumi had punched her and she imagined she had a rather nasty bruise forming, perhaps even a black eye. That, in and of itself, was a victory. She dearly loved her friend, but she could not have allowed Katsumi to simply throw her chance away like that. It would have eaten away at her, little by little, poisoning her mind. Nor, she realized, could she have thrived under such conditions herself. Katsumi cared for her, protected her, but now understood that she could stand on her own as well. She only wished she had realized earlier just how deeply her friend's feelings towards her went. Even with Katsumi's confession and their conversation, it had obviously not been as settled as she thought.

"I shall manage, Mother," she said. "There is time enough to rest before my next match. Doctor Izumi said I did no permanent damage to myself."

"Is that really what you want, Izumi?" Father asked. He did not wear his emotions on his sleeve like Mother did, but for someone as familiar with him as she was, they were quite clear. He was worried about her too, both her physical health and her mental health. The scars, both figurative and literal, of his own upbringing ran deep. He worried constantly about her limits and pushing her too hard; they had her grandfather to blame for that. "You don't have to prove anything. Not to us, not to anyone."

"Except to myself," she said. "I may or may not have the strength to continue the Tournament, but I will not know unless I try."

"I'm not letting you endanger your health for some point of pride," Mother said, firmly. "There'll be other chances, next year, or…"

"No!" Izumi snapped. "I want to do this. I _need_ to do this! I have to know if I can!"

"You've got to think about your future, about your health! You're just like your father, full of stubborn pride!" Mother pointed an accusing finger, trembling with anger, albeit anger born of concern. "I just want what's best for you!"

Mother was acting just like Katsumi. Trying to protect her, look out for her. But she had left the nest. She was here to learn to be her best. And she could not do that if everyone kept treating her like she would break if left to her own devices or was allowed to actually push herself the way others were.

"I _am_ thinking about my future! How do you think anyone will look upon a future Hero who had to withdraw because she was 'tired'?" Izumi too, was shaking. Not her first angry outburst of the day. She wondered if she was making a habit of it.

"Izumi!" Mother snapped, ready to unleash another tirade.

"I think we should let her," Father said, before either of them could bombard the other with another argument.

Izumi's eyes widened in surprise. Father had always been more on her side about this than Mother, but he rarely directly contradicted her like this.

Mother shot him an angry glare. "Shoto, how can you even suggest she…"

Father shook his head. "Were you listening, Momo? To what she told Katsumi?"

Mother crossed her arms. "Of course I did! She stood up for herself! Told Katsumi to take her seriously and not shelter her! And…"

Her mother trailed off for a moment, then her eyes went wide and she pressed a hand to her mouth. "And I'm doing the same thing… aren't I?"

Father crossed the room and put Mother's shoulders. "You are. You always have. I'm guilty of it too. We both know why. I understand it, but it doesn't make it right. But I think we have to let her be try. You and I both know about too many regrets and what if's."

There was something more being unsaid here, Izumi thought. Something she wasn't being told. But she could pursue that line of questioning another day. For now, her heart beat rapidly in her chest; the possibility that she might actually get to continue was so very close.

Mother frowned. "I… You're right. Of course, you are. I worry…" She looked at Izumi again. "We both worry about you, Izumi. Always. After how we nearly lost you… It nearly killed me to see you fighting like that out there."

Perhaps this wasn't going her way after all.

"But," Mother went on, "I suppose I am just going to have to get used to it. I'll worry no less when you become a Hero yourself."

Her parents separated, each taking up a spot on either side of her bed. "I can't promise I won't be a nervous wreck," Mother said, "but you have my permission to keep fighting."

"Mine too," Father said. And then he smiled. "We're proud of you, you know. And I can lord your victory over Bakugo for weeks."

"_And now we come to the last fight of the first seed! Asuka Tokoyami versus Kana Tetsutetsu! The familiar fighter against the steel-fisted striker! Can Tokoyami's Frog-Shadow pierce Tetsutetsu's guard, or will Tetsutetsu's Iron Fist triumph over the floating, fighting frog? Let's find out!"_

"_Hn. At least I can count on these two to be sensible in their fight."_

"Are you ready?" Asuka said out loud.

_**Let me at her, Boss! I'll go full amphibian on her!**_

Frog-Shadow, it seemed, was as excitable as always. But her other half had demonstrated remarkable synchronicity with her during the other two events, so Asuka was actually confident that Frog-Shadow would fall in line as best she could for this fight.

Her opponent was no joke. Kana Tetsutetsu was a good friend of both Kirishima-Bakugo and Toshi, as well as Mineta and Koda, so she was hardly a stranger to Class 1-A. Asuka herself had been getting to know her during Student Council meetings. And while her Quirk of transforming her arms into metal was a relatively simple one, she backed it up with martial skill that more than made up for the simplicity of her Quirk.

"Ready?" Hawkeye asked, and when they both nodded, the teacher took a step back, out of the ring. "Fight!"

Tetsutetsu gave her a small bow. "May the best woman win," she said.

Asuka returned the bow in kind. "May the best woman win," she agreed.

And thus the fight began. "Frog-Shadow… go!" Asuka shouted, summoning her familiar. Frog-Shadow erupted from her midsection, a glowing-green frog-shaped figure of light, radiant even in the afternoon sun.

"_**Face my wrath!"**_ Frog-Shadow shouted, flying towards Tetsutetsu like a spear.

Tetsutetsu wasn't backing down though, instead, she converted both her arms to shining metal and brought them up in an X in front of her face. Her "Ultimate Guard" technique, Asuka believed it was called. Frog-Shadow impacted with a shower of green sparks, but bounced off, looping back around.

But Tetsutestsu didn't waste any time waiting for Frog-Shadow's next attack, racing forward. She crossed the distance between the two of them with remarkable speed, putting Asuka immediately on the defensive as she dodged blows from her steely fists. She had to protect her head. It was a large enough target and one blow from one of Tetsutetsu's metal fists was probably all it would take to knock her down.

"Frog-Shadow, to me!" Quickly, she recalled Frog-Shadow and the world went green.

"_**Oh, you done it now,"**_ Frog-Shadow said, settling over her like a suit of armor. _**"We're breaking out the combo-moves!"**_

Tetsutetsu just laughed. "Good! I like a challenge!" She took a step back and launched a kick towards them, connecting hard. Frog-Shadow's armor held, but there was still surprising force behind the blow.

"Off!"

"_**Off!"**_

The blow knocked Asuka back, even with Frog-Shadow protecting her. Curse her for a fool, she'd been so focused on Tetsutetsu's Quirk that she hadn't been thinking she would fight with anything else. It was not a mistake she'd be making again.

Tetsutetsu struck out again, this time with a metal arm. But Asuka got her guard up, blocking it with her left arm and delivering her own Frog-Shadow enhanced blow with her right. She struck Tetsutetsu hard in the solar plexus, knocking the wind out of her and buying a few seconds of space and time.

Asuka pressed her attack, sending Frog-Shadow out again to attack. Her familiar shot out, her "tether" wrapping around Tetsutetsu several times, finally ending up behind her, pinning her arms to her side.

"_**Ha! We've got you now!"**_ Frog-Shadow taunted.

Tetsutetsu simply grinned. "Maybe." Her arms suddenly shifted back to flesh, shrinking just enough that Frog-Shadow was not so tightly wrapped around her. "Maybe not!"

Both of her arms shot up, slamming into Frog-Shadow's face. The light-being let out a cry of pain and retreated, snapping back to Asuka. She winced too, gritting her teeth. Frog-Shadow's pain wasn't exactly her pain… but the two of them were still deeply linked.

"_**She tricked me! She tricked me! No fair!"**_

"Quit complaining and fight!" Asuka shouted.

Frog-Shadow shot out again and again, each time blocked by Tetutetsu's guard. Neither of them was gaining much around and the reverse held true when Tetsutetsu found space to press her attack. Asuka would recall Frog-Shadow like armor, blocking until she could strike and drive her back. Their Quirks were very, very different, but provided both of them with enough attack and defense that neither could find space past the other.

This continued for several minutes and even though most of the blows had not impacted upon her directly, Asuka was beginning to tire. But so, it seemed, was Tetsutetsu. She'd taken several steps back in an attempt to buy herself a few moments.

"_**We gonna go for this, Boss?" **_Frog-Shadow asked.

Despite something telling her there was more to this than met the eye, Asuka knew they couldn't endure many more assaults. If this was to be ended, it had to be now. "Do it," she breathed.

"_**FROGGY….PUNCH!"**_ Frog-Shadow shot out again, hands raised and ready to rain down blows on Tetsutetsu.

Tetsutetsu brought her metal hands up… just right to catch the sun. Light reflected off them like a mirror, right into Frog-Shadow's eyes. _**"What the heck?!"**_ Frog-Shadow cried out, trying to shield her eyes, but failing.

With Frog-Shadow temporarily blinded, Asuka tried to recall her, but before she could, Tetsutetsu's arm snapped out, grabbing the tether that connected the two of them. She gave a powerful yank and Asuka found herself lifted off her feet, flying towards Tetsutetsu. The last thing she remembered seeing before all she could see were stars was a metal fist heading towards her face.

"Tokoyami is unable to continue!" she head Hawkeye shout. "Tetsutetsu wins!"

"_Now that's what I call a knock-out fight! That finishes up the first seed of the Tournament, folks! We'll be back for the second seed in just a moment, with more hot U.A. action!"_

"_Is that enough time for a coffee, Mic?"_

"_Sure it… Ooooh no, you're not escaping that easy, Eraser!"_


	39. Chapter 35: Round 4 -- FIGHT!

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 35: The Sports Festival Part 8: Round Four—FIGHT!**

Mika hadn't seen Shiro since his fight with the moth girl from General Studies, which was worrisome. Her ex-tweenage boyfriend was moody under the best circumstances and not always the world's most gracious loser. If he hadn't rejoined his 1-B classmates in the stands, then it meant one of two things. Either he had been hurt a lot more than it had looked or he was somewhere sulking.

Her money was on sulking. With having Doc Clock and her Rewind Quirk for a doctor, competitors taken out of the fight generally got back up pretty quickly. Plus, she just knew Shiro.

As she'd expected, she found him on a bench in one of the hallways beneath the stadium, just outside the waiting rooms, his hands folded in front of him and his head down. He'd lost to the moth girl and thus any shot at fighting Kirishima-Bakugo. Kirishima-Bakugo had lost her own fight too, but she supposed that was small consolation to him (it probably made him feel worse). Who'd known Todorki had had it in her?

When she'd talked with him at lunch with Kana and Anime, they'd offered him fairly contradictory advice on how to handle his infatuation.. Kana had suggested cutting out the theatrics and just having an honest conversation with Kirishima-Bakugo. Anime had suggested a wacky scheme in which he pretended to be dating Kana, Mika, and her in order to make Kirishima-Bakugo jealous (that had been shot down as both a) not desirable by multiple parties (mostly Shiro and Kana), b) illogical because Kirishima-Bakugo knew Kana was interested in Haimawari and c) something that only worked in bad harem anime and soap operas). Mika's suggestion of hijacking the broadcast equipment and making an anguished declaration of love on the big screen had also been shot down on the grounds it would probably get him eighty-years detention and publically embarrass her with her parents in the stands. Of course, she hadn't been completely serious about that, but it would have been hilarious to see him try. She'd ultimately sided with Kana. Just because she loved drama didn't mean she actually wanted to see him get hurt.

She plopped down on the bench next to him. "You okay, 'ro?"

"Mmm."

She put an arm around him and scooted a little closer, until she was pressed right up against him. "You wanna talk about it?"

"Mmm-nnn."

"Okay, you don't gotta if you don't wanna." She gave him a little squeeze. "You wanna touch my boobs? That always cheers me up."

"Mmm-nnn."

"You just been down here the whole time?"

He shook his head. "I brought a post-victory gift to Kocho. She'll need her strength to keep fighting. I'd intended to check on Kirishima-Bakugo too… but lost my nerve."

Well, at least he was talking. "I've got some time before my next fight. You want to tell me how to beat Dashi?"

He shook his head. "I've got to stand with my Class. But I'm sure you can figure something out."

So much for that. Some of his hair was still mussed and she smoothed it back into place. "You want me to just sit here with you for a while?"

"Mmm…hmm."

Sure, Shiro was a pain in the ass. But he was also her friend. She could be here for him, for a little while at least.

Koharu held her breath for a moment, then let it out slowly, thoughts racing through her mind faster than she could keep up with. Sitting in the waiting room, getting ready for her next fight, she should have felt exhausted from everything she'd done so far, but instead only felt wired with nervous energy.

She'd beaten Shiro Monoma and made it to the second seed. It was, frankly, almost unbelievable. She'd taken down a Hero Course student. Granted, she'd had an extremely favorable match-up. She was pretty sure she couldn't have taken down Deku's kid or the bird girl. But she couldn't psyche herself up like that. She could do this. She'd practiced, trained as much as she could, worked out, everything. She'd almost made it into the Hero Course.

Absently, she unfurled her proboscis and inserted it into the protein pouch she was holding, slurping up the contents. Being unable to eat solid foods was inconvenient sometimes, but she managed. There were a surprising number of options available on the market these days; insect Quirks like hers or other variations were surprisingly common.

Surprisingly, Monoma had actually brought it to her. She'd meant to get one from one of the food stalls, but had gotten caught up watching the other fights before her next. She'd tried to apologize for beating him, but he'd waved her off. Said he just wanted to support an up and coming talent, now that he was out of the running.

She didn't know what to make of that.

And, of course, her next fight would be one of the few Hero Course kids she actually knew. She liked Ojiro and her friends, Sero and Sato. They'd been more than welcoming and encouraging in just the short time she'd known them. Not the best impression to have to beat up the friends you've just made.

On the other hand, she was pretty sure there was very little Ojiro could do to her if it came down to it. She just had to stay out of her way. Even if she went invisible like she had in her fight against that cartoon girl… Well, Koharu might have a couple tricks up her sleeve for that. She'd never tested them against someone invisible before, but she supposed there was no time like the present.

She wondered just what the odds were of making it to the Hero Course. The famous Hitoshi Shinso, the Underground Hero known as the Voice, had gotten knocked out in his first fight, and yet had impressed Eraserhead for him to take him under his wing. It had taken a lot of extra training after that, but he'd made it in. He was still a legend in the General Studies Courses.

Koharu had already gotten farther than he had. She didn't dream of winning, not with the people in the other matches. She wouldn't last a minute against Todoroki, she was certain. Maybe she could take Mineta, if she could keep out of range of those sticky balls she shot. Maybe. And maybe she could beat the zippy guy. But Midoriya or Tetsutetsu were probably right out.

The door to the waiting room opened. "Kocho?" She looked up to see a cat-eared woman with dark hair at the door. One of the teachers from the Business and Management Courses, she thought. "They're ready for you."

She took another breath. This was it.

"_And we're back and ready for the second seed! First up, Koharu Kocho, the Moth-Maiden of General Studies! She's already made her mark getting this far, surpassing even some of the Recommendation Students! It's been a long time since we've seen a General Studies student get this far! Will her winning streak continue? And facing her is Kimiko Ojiro, the Invisible Girl of the Hero Course! She proved her stealth and skill already, but is it enough to last?"_

"_You do realize this is a serious competition and not some reality television show?"_

"_It can be two things!"_

Ojiro gave Koharu a friendly wave. "Oh, man," she said, "I can't believe we've got to fight! Totally unfair!"

Koharu shrugged apologetically. "Just how the matches worked out, I guess."

Ojiro crossed her arms. "Yeah, well…" she said, then pointed dramatically (Koharu assumed she was pointing; at least her sleeve was pointing at her)., "don't think I'm going to go easy on you just because I like you!"

She smiled. For someone invisible, Ojiro obviously had a flare for theatrics. "Yeah, well, I'm not going to go easy on you either!"

"Ladies," Hawkeye said, sounding very tired, "if you're ready? FIGHT!"

Immediately, Ojiro winked out of existence, her clothes becoming as invisible as the rest of her. Koharu drew in a deep breath, then flapped her wings hard, lifting off the ground. Before she had gotten more than a foot up, though, she felt a leg smack into her midsection, knocking the breath out of her and knocking her back to the ground. Another blow came almost immediately, a punch upside her head. Ojiro was obviously faster than she looked (Which, given that she was invisible, probably wasn't hard.), having closed the distance between them quickly. A third blow followed, another punch that made the world go blurry.

She had to do something, had to get back in the fight. She couldn't just get smacked around like this!

She flapped her wings hard, forward instead of down, feeling her left wing slap into Ojiro. Koharu used the brief moment it bought her to let loose with a blob of String-Shot, unfocused and messy. A yelp let her know she'd nearly hit Ojiro, who winked back into existence briefly, before turning invisible again.

Another pair of blows slammed into Koharu before she could get her guard up and she lashed out with her wings again, flapping wildly until she felt her right wings connect with Ojiro again. It didn't give her much time though; Ojiro was tough and Koharu was forced to bring her wings back in, folding them in front of her protectively. They served as a shield for a moment, blocking several fast blows. Koharu winced. Her wings were tougher than they looked, but they couldn't take too much of a beating. She tried to swat Ojiro away with them again, but missed each time. Ojiro was clearly getting her rhythm.

The blows stopped through and the sound of shoes on concrete suggested Ojiro was trying to get behind her. Koharu flapped her wings as hard and fast as she could, desperate to get airborne. A rush of air behind her suggested she'd done it just in time. Now in the air and out of grabbing range, she actually had a moment to think. She could unleash her Scales, but unless she knew where to aim, she'd have to throw them pretty broadly and even then, she might miss Ojiro. And if she used up enough of them before she took Ojiro out, she'd be unable to fly and then they'd be right back where they started. So first things first, she needed to find her target.

"Hey!" came a voice from somewhere down below. "Get back down here and fight me! What'd am I supposed to do now?" A broken piece of rubble floated up in the air for a moment before it went flying at her, but Koharu dodged it easily. There weren't any other would-be projectiles big enough for Ojiro to hurt her with, even if she could throw that far.

With what most have seemed to onlookers like a violation of all common sense, Koharu closed her eyes.

The feathery antennae that sprouted from her forehead, which normally hung loose, lifted up and began feeding information to her brain. For a moment, it was overwhelming. Her antennae brought forth all kinds of sensory information, very different than the information returned by her eyes, ears, or nose. It took a few seconds for her to make the switch from one set of senses to the other successfully. But once she did, she was approximately aware of where everyone in the stands was, aware of countless foods being eaten, of all kinds of conversations happening, and, most importantly, where exactly Ojiro was.

"HAAAACK!" Koharu shot out a thin stream of her String Shot, quickly entangling Ojiro's legs. The invisible girl let out a cry of alarm as she tripped and went down. But she caught herself, keeping her from hitting her head or otherwise injuring herself.

"Hey! No fair!" Ojiro said. "I'm invisible! Lucky shot!" Koharu's eyes snapped open and she could see that Ojiro had returned to visibility and was working to try and free herself. This only served to get her hands stuck as well. "Oooh, yuck! This stuff's disgusting!"

Koharu took another breath, then dove down, swooping in at Ojiro. She grabbed the back of the girl's gym uniform and kept flying, right up to the edge of the ring. Once there, all she had to do was let go and Ojiro went flying out of bounds.

The crowd exploded with applause. "Ojiro is out of bounds!" Hawkeye announced. "Kocho wins!"

"_I think we've got a rising star here on our hands! What's a girl like this doing in General Studies? The Hero Course is missing out and the second seed is off to a bang!"_

Koharu walked over to Ojiro. Her String-Shot was already starting to dissolve; she hadn't put too much effort into it, she'd just needed Ojiro immobilized for a few moments. She offered Ojiro a hand up and felt a hand wrap around hers.

"Thanks," Ojiro said, as she helped her up. "Also, gross! That stuff came out of your mouth! I'm gonna be washing my hands for a month!"

Koharu had to laugh at that. "You're not the first person to say that. Really am sorry about beating you, though."

Ojiro shrugged. "I didn't even think I'd get this far. Besides, somebody's gotta win!"

Koharu didn't think that someone would be her, not beyond this. But she was proud of what she'd done. Maybe… just maybe, this would all work out. Placing was no guarantee; there were stories of General Studies students who'd made it to the Tournament round more on luck than skill and hadn't moved anywhere.

So she guessed the real question was, was she lucky or skilled? Monoma and Ojiro were both skilled with amazing Quirks. They just weren't particularly suited to fighting hers.

She just had to keep fighting to find out.

"_And now we've got Mika Miketa back again, facing off against Kimiko Dashi! I'm really hoping for a good, clean fight this time! Nobody needs a repeat of the last time Mineta got in the ring!"_

"_It's the kind of trick that only works once anyway, Mic."_

Mika stepped into the ring, across from Kimiko Dashi. The tri-hair colored girl looked pretty relaxed and that really wasn't surprising. Her match against the wheeled girl from 1-C had taken less than five minutes, since all Dashi'd had to do was freeze her and then accelerate her out of the ring. Which meant she couldn't get hit, not even once, or it'd be all over for her. And that might be a tall order. She was pretty light on her hooves, but if all she had was one shot…

"Tetsutetsu warned me about you, you know," Dashi said. "And I saw your match against Kan. I'm not going to fall for your mouth."

"Really? Kana's ratting me out? That is just so incredibly rude." Mika gave Dashi her best smile. "You wouldn't believe the number of people who've said that though." She got a glare in return. Must have been doing something right.

Hawkeye pinched the bridge of her nose. The English teacher seemed to be having a bad day. There had been a lot of talking and not fighting today. But she knew the job was dangerous when she took it. "Are you done making a mockery of things, Mineta?" she asked.

"Sure thing, Teach," Mika said.

"My apologies for the delay," Dashi said. Mika made a face. Suck-up.

"Then… FIGHT!"

In a snap, Dashi brought up her arm and fired a red "stop" beam from it, but Mika was already moving, the beam sizzling through the air where she had been. She lowered her head and fired an opening volley of sticky balls from her horns, not really bothering to aim, just to disorient. If they stuck to Dashi, so much the better. But even if they didn't, they might trip her up later. Mika would just bounce off.

She kept running, hooves slamming into the concrete. Dashi kept firing, red beams racing through the air. Hopefully they weren't hitting anyone in the stands or anything. Provocation probably wasn't going to work here; she was actually going to have to fight.

Mika turned and fired, launching another volley of her sticky balls. Dashi was quick on the defense though and fired a red beam again, stopping them in mid-air. They hovered there without stopping, neither moving forward nor falling. Just like she wanted. Mika took a running start then jumped, sailing over the blasts Dashi put her way. She landed on the hovering balls and then _bounced_, launching back up into the air.

Dashi tracked her ascent for a moment then fired a _yellow_ beam. Mika hadn't known she could do that! Crap! She'd only seen the blue and red beams so far. It struck her dead on and time seemed to slow to a crawl. She was still falling, but at a fraction of the speed before. Below, she could see Dashi moving out of the way, seeming to be a blur.

After what seemed like an hour but was probably only a minute or so, Mika hit the ground. Fast as she could, she spun around throwing a roundhouse kick. Just like she'd predicted, Dashi was right behind her, about to fire another beam. The kick connected, hitting the weird traffic light looking gizmo Dashi wore on her arm with a mighty _clang _and throwing off her aim. Probably helped her focus her Quirk or something. A red beam went wild, heading towards the stands again. Mika followed up with a second kick, hitting Dashi in the stomach and sending her flying back a few feet.

Mika fired off another sticky ball, a single one from her left horn. Dashi, still dazed from the kick, fired off a series a red beams, none of them hitting it. Instead, the ball smacked right into her open right hand with a slightly wet _plop_ sound. Dashi tried to shake it off, but it held fast, and would for a while yet.

Then, Dashi brought her hand up and jerked in surprise as nothing seemed to happen. She looked down at her hand like it had betrayed her, trying again to shake the sticky ball from it. . "What the?"

She brought her hand up again and this time Mika could see the barest hint of red flashing around the ball. Slightly bigger than a softball, her sticky ball had been large enough to cover Dashi's palm and fingers. And with the ball blocking the beam, Dashi's Quirk was effectively taken out of the fight. All this time and Mika hadn't seen her ever fire a beam out of her left hand. Combined with her support item there, it had suggested to her that Dashi could only fire her beams from her right.

She'd been correct in that guess.

Mika raced across the ring and Dashi's face twisted up in anger. "You're… how did you… You're not supposed to be this smart!"

Closing the gap, Mika lashed out, kicking again with her right leg. Dashi sidestepped the blow, trying to return a punch of her own, but Mika ducked away from it. Still partially ducked, she rammed into Dashi's middle, her horns going on either side of her. With a jerk and a twist, Mika lifted Dashi, and gave her a toss out of the ring.

"Dashi is out of bounds!" Hawkeye announced. "Mineta wins!"

"_How about that, folks? Class 1-A's horned girl takes the win again! And all without a single dirty joke! I guess we won't have to edit the home video version of this fight after all!"_

Mika grinned. And very quietly, she spoke to herself. "I'm more than a pretty face," she said. "Or a foul mouth. That's just more fun."

"_You_."

Isamu jumped when the door to the waiting room flew open. He'd been so deep in thought that he'd lost track of his surroundings. But it wasn't one of the teachers come to fetch him for his match. No, it was the person who scared him most in all the world. Kirishima-Bakugo. Her red eyes were locked on him in an intense glare that, if she'd had some kind of eyebeam Quirk, would have meant he was dead.

"Yes?" he said. "Me?"

Apparently his mouth was running on extra stupid today.

"You're fighting Izzy." It wasn't a question.

"Ah, yeah," Isamu replied, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. He was pretty sure he could get away from her before she could kill him. And somebody would surely be here any minute to fetch him. He probably wouldn't die today.

Kirishima-Bakugo crossed her arms and frowned, hesitating, as though searching for the right words. Her entire body language radiated tension and barely repressed rage. Probably searching for the best way to describe how she'd explode his head. It seemed to be her go-to intimidation tactic.

"If you're going to threaten me," he said, "can you just get it over with? Explode my head, rip my arms off, whatever?"

That got a laugh out of her, which, in all honest, was far scary than any other sound he'd ever heard her make, including all the different times he'd heard her scream "die!" He scrambled up out of his chair and towards the back of the suddenly too small room. There was no escape.

Katsumi recovered from her laugh and he thought, for just a moment, he saw something like amusement or approval in her eyes. "You're starting to grow a spine," she said.

"Ah, maybe?"

She shook her head. "And now you've blown it, Newb."

"You were, you were saying something about Izumi?" he tried.

She nodded. "Right. I don't like you, and you don't like me. But we both like Izzy."

He nodded. More like he was terrified of her, but not setting her off was probably in his best interest, so he was just going to be agreeable. Unless she was here to threaten him if he wound up hurting Izumi when they fought. Which would probably be pretty hypocritical, given how all out he'd seen her go against their mutual friend, but he also wouldn't put it past her.

"Izzy, lots of people treat her like she's fragile. I did. More than I should have." She jabbed a finger in his direction. "So don't go easy on her. She wants a fight? Give it to her. Or you're going to answer to me."

Okay, he was not expecting _that_. He didn't claim to understand the full extent of the friendship between Izumi and Kirishima-Bakugo; he only knew how protective the latter was of Izumi. That had certainly seemed to shift in the fight between the two. A now, she was telling him to fight instead of trying to scare him off?

The coma theory continued to look more and more likely. Coma dreams didn't have to make sense.

"I can… I can do that," he said, finally finding his voice.

"Good," Kirishima-Bakugo growled. "Remember it, Newb. I find out you went easy on her…" She made a cutting gesture across her neck, then turned and left.

Isamu realized he'd been holding his breath and finally let it out, sucking in gulps of air greedily. That girl was going to be the death of him some day, he was sure of it.

But for now, he had to survive his next match.


	40. Chapter 36: Round 5 -- Fight!

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 36: The Sports Festival Part 9: Round Five – FIGHT!**

"_Up next, we have the high-speed Hero student, Isamu Haimawari! He took first place in the Obstacle Course, survived Quirkball, and shot his first opponent out of the ring! Going up against him, we have Izumi Todoroki, mistress of the elements! She's mastered fire and ice and pushed past a truly explosive first opponent! This is going to be an intense one, folks!"_

"_Another exercise in violence and flashy abilities. Of course."_

"_Why you gotta be such a downer, Eraser?"_

"_You and Mightnight keep making me come up here against my will. If I were a more violent person…"_

"_Hey, you can do what you want to me, but leave my girlfriend out of this!"_

Isamu was doing his level best to ignore the crowd and not doing a very good job of it. Too much noise, too many people. A bunch of them were just cheering, making noise. Quite a few people were cheering for Izumi. And what surprised him was that some people were cheering for him. Sure, he assumed some of his friends from class in the stands might be. Shinso was probably cheering for the both of them, even. But he wasn't used to having this much attention on him. He'd had just a small number of friends (which reminded him, he should really call them) in middle school and junior high, and was even more surprised to find he'd made friends so easily at U.A. But people who'd never met him, cheering for him to succeed? Totally foreign territory.

Okay, so Izumi. She looked like she'd recover pretty well from collapsing fighting Kirishima-Bakugo. The rings on her regulator rig were giving off a soft-green glow, meaning she didn't have any stored heat in them. That meant she'd have to rely on ice at first, until she could build up enough heat for fire. That was decent. He could handle ice. His repulsion field treated ice just like any other surface, and he could adhere to it too, if he had to.

Honestly, he was grateful to be facing Izumi and not Kirishima-Bakugo. Not that he wanted to fight a friend of his, but Kirishima-Bakugo was terrifying in ways Izumi definitely wasn't. He wasn't sure he could take either one of them, especially after the display of power Izumi had put on, but he was even less sure about Kirishima-Bakugo.

"You, ah, ready for this, Izumi?" he asked.

Izumi nodded. "Quite ready," she said.

"I'm not going to go easy on you," he added.

She shook her head. "Nor would I expect you to."

They both turned their attention to Hakweye, who nodded slightly. "You're ready, then?" Another nod from both of them. "Then… FIGHT!"

Isamu threw himself forward, hands and feet both touching the ground, and he rocketed himself towards Izumi. She took a fast step back and pointed at the ground, throwing up a wall of ice probably two meters across and taller than she was. He had to hit the breaks hard, firing his repulsive force in the other direction, to keep from slamming into it.

Quickly, Izumi came around from behind her wall (she had probably started moving moment she'd thrown it up), and he felt the temperature drop around him sharply. Even as he tried to push back, the ice formed faster than he'd expected, until he found himself lifted off the ground, frozen in a block of ice, just his head pushing out.

A hush fell over the crowd. He had to do something. He had _no_ time to waste; if he didn't do something quickly, he'd be eliminated.

"Haimawari," Hawkeye began, "can you continue?"

He barely heard her, instead focusing on concentrating on his Quirk for all he was worth. The ice around him was one structure and he had four points of contact. Perfect. He triggered his Quirk, pushing his repulsion field out from all of his limbs and directly into the ice. With an ear-shattering _crack_, the ice broke, sending shards everywhere and sending him flying back. Equal and opposite reaction, of course. The laws of physics were harsh sometimes. As he flew back, he saw Izumi protecting herself from the shards with a quickly formed ice shield.

He hit the ground, skidding, throwing his hands out and applying his adhesive force to keep himself from going further. And then he got fight back up shot forward again. An ice pillar shot up in his way, forcing him to go around it, then another, and another. Each time, he had to change directions, move back or to the side. It was only after the third one that he realized… _she was herding him. _Every time he had to change directions, he was moving closer to the edge of the ring.

Clever. It had almost worked. Isamu skidded to a stop, spinning around and rocketing around the edge of the ring. The only good part about the ice pillars was that they had also temporarily obstructed Izumi's view of him. Just enough time for him to rush her and…

A blast of flame, came rushing at him. He barely had time to duck his head out of the way, the flames missing him by mere centimeters, and he could _feel_ the heat from them. Izumi had anticipated his move here too. Was he that predictable?

She switched back to ice, trying to trap him again, obviously wary of using her flames directly on him. Only an intense burst kept him from becoming ensnared in an icy prison again.

Izzy didn't let up. She called up more ice, trying to box him in, walls of ice forming on all sides. Isamu stood, putting a hand against the wall of ice in front of him. Solid. He took a step back, but found a wall of ice had already formed behind him! Looking up, the walls were starting to join together…

No room to slide, nowhere to run… he was trapped!

He had one chance. He'd meant to save this for his last match. But if he didn't do it now, this probably _would_ be his last match.

Up in the stands, Shota gasped, gasped again, then gasped some more. Two of his best friends were duking it out! Who was he supposed to root for here? Haimawari, who liked Heroes almost as much as him and Toshi and never told him to shut up? Izumi, who he'd known for longer, and who always encouraged him?

"Argh!" he wailed. "Why can't they both just win? This is killing me!"

"Relax, Shota," Asuka said, sitting behind and one seat to the left of him. "Simply making it this far is a victory in and of itself. *chirp* Our friends will be fine no matter the outcome."

"My money is on Todoroki," Shoji said, sitting next to Asuka. "She's negating Haimawari's speed by boxing him in."

"Yeah, but he can just go up and over it, if he has to," Mineta added, sitting in the row in front of him. "Might get a good look at his backside that way."

"Should you really be looking at backsides, Mika?" Kaminari, sitting next to her, asked. "Aren't you kind of seeing Yoarashi now?"

"Shinji and I aren't exclusive, Chi," Mineta replied. "So I can look at all the backsides I want and so can he. I told him he should check out yours sometime."

"Ah… thanks?"

Shota winced as it looked like Izumi got the drop of Haimawari, forming a dome of ice all around him. "Aaaw, man," he said. "I think she's got him now. No way he's going to get out of there!"

"Hang on," Sato said, leaning forward in his seat. He looked to his left and right, where Sero and Ojiro were sitting. "You guys see that too, right?"

"Something's glowing in there!" Ojiro said.

Sero looked to his right, where his boyfriend, Tensei Iida, was sitting. "Any sciencey ideas, babe?"

"I am afraid I do not have enough information to form a hypothesis," Iida said. Next to him, his sister, Sora, likewise shook her head.

Sero looked back over his shoulder. "Shinso, Tokoyami, any ideas what he's doing?"

Shota shook his head. He knew Haimawari had been spending a lot of time doing some private training, when he wasn't practicing hand to hand with him and Toshi, but he didn't know what exactly he was doing. "Dunno," he said. "Looks like it's gonna be big though."

"_Oui_," Aoyama said, from where he was sitting with Koda. He'd been extra grumpy since getting eliminated during Quirkball. He seemed to have calmed down a little since lunch, at least. "It seems all his practice is about to pay off. Our newcomer may surprise us yet."

Kirishima-Bakugo was on the edge of her seat, a white-knuckled grip on the railing in front of her. "C'mon, Izzy… kick his ass already…"

Isamu planted his feet, put one arm out, palm facing forward. He braced it with his other arm, took a deep breath, and concentrated all of his Quirk into it. The energy there hummed for a moment, making his arm shake with the effort of controlling all the energy. He probably had exactly one shot at this. He'd been able to fire off some lower power bursts in rapid succession, but the ice here already looked thick enough to make trouble.

When he could bear the power no longer, sparks of white energy already dancing along his hand, Isamu let the energy go in one massive blast.

_KRACKA-POW!_

A bolt of blue-white energy flared from his hand, punching through and shattering the ice before him. He'd done it! He'd actually done it! It felt like he'd just gone jogging for twenty miles, but he'd actually done it!

An ice ball smacked into his head, nearly knocking him over, and draining any sense of accomplishment. He could see now, Izumi had gotten out of the way before he'd fired off his blast. It had been too much to hope for that she'd been in the line of fire. But then again, he wasn't sure how much damage a blast like that would have done to a person.

He got moving, running rather than sliding, as Izumi alternated between blasts of ice and flame. With so many chunks of ice and ice constructions littering the ring, there was precious room to maneuver or fight. But there was a pillar. Isamu quickly slapped a hand against it, bringing his feet onto it and lifting himself up, gaining some altitude. Below, he could see Izumi readying a blast of flame to bring him down. She'd done the same to Kirishima-Bakugo.

But he had one thing she didn't. He pointed his free hand. It was now or nothing. And…

_Kracka-Pow! Kracka-Pow! Kracka-Pow! Kracka-Pow!_

He pushed out what remaining power he could, firing blast after blast. Low power, but maybe just enough.

The blasts were enough to get Izumi moving, barely one step ahead of where he was firing. Finally, Isamu _pushed_ with the three limbs he had touching the pillar and launched herself into the air. He came down, smacking into Izumi, both of them rolling over and over.

"Todoroki is out of bounds!" came Hawkeye's voice. "Haimawari wins!"

What? Isamu looked. They were near the edge of the ring and… Izumi's head was just a little bit over it. He was also, he realized, on top of Izumi and way too close. He felt a crimson blush spread over his face. He didn't think of her like that that, not at all, but this was still some of the closest he'd been to a girl, other than Mika riding on his back earlier today.

"Ah… sorry," he said. And realized he was still on top of her. Hastily, he got to his feet and helped her to hers. "You okay?"

She gave him a small smile. "Battered and bruised, but otherwise all right," she said. "I managed not to pass out this time."

He gave her a smile in return. "You nearly had me," he said. "…Please don't let Kirishima-Bakugo kill me."

This actually got a small laugh out of her. "You have my promise."

And then he realized the crowd was cheering his name. And he nearly passed out himself.

"_Yoooowwww! Quite the win for this unknown! Haimawari advances to the next round! We're gonna get some clean up and then be back for the final fight of the second seed!"_

"_Let's all give a big hand to FireFox for getting rid of that ice so quickly and to the Support classes for cleaning up the steam and water! We're now ready for the final fight of the second seed! Toshinori Midoriya, the Number One Son of the Number One Hero vs Kana Tetsutetsu, the Steel Sentinel of Class 1-B!"_

"_Let me just say now: Anyone who breaks any bones will be expelled. I've been through that particular scenario enough times now."_

"_Good one, Eraser! Who knew you'd taken up jokes? That wife of yours must really be getting to you!"_

"_Right. Jokes."_

So, Kana Tetsutetsu. Toshi was carefully reviewing what he knew about his friend. In many ways, she was like the PG-12 version of Katsumi. She was strong, driven, dedicated to proving herself, but a lot less angry. As Representative for her class, she was also fair, honest, and a bit of a big sister. And she was by far the more patient of the two (anybody who could put up with Monoma _and_ was friends with Mineta had to have the patience of a saint).

Her Quirk let her turn her arms, from fingertip to shoulder, into metal. This gave her incredible punching power and a strong resistance to damage that she called her "Ultimate Guard."

She was also, frankly, a better fighter than he was, an actual martial artist. Toshi had a number of moves Mom had taught him, but he took after Dad and Grandpa Might in that he was more of a brawler, relying on heavy hits and his patented "Gravity Smash" stomp move to do most of his damage.

"You're going to give me a good fight, Toshi?" Kana asked, grinning. Not a feral grin like Katsumi so often sported, but one that said, "I welcome the challenge."

"Of course," he agreed, returning the grin. He liked a good fight as much as the next guy and Kana made a great sparring partner. A straight-up fight like this was a good match for the two of them, neither had a big advantage over the other.

It'd be a good chance for both for both of them to show off what they could do.

"Ready?" Hawkeye asked. Not a lot of nonsense here, compared to some of the other matches. She seemed to have moved up from "annoyed" to "impassive", which was an improvement. When they nodded, she stepped out of the ring. "Now… FIGHT!"

A lot of the other matches had started quickly, fast and furious blows or other bursts of power. Here, the two were more careful, slowly circling each other looking for an opening to exploit. It was Toshi who made the first move, throwing a right cross and increasing his gravity at the last moment.

_CLANG!_

Kana got her Ultimate Guard up in time, arms crossed in an X in front of her. Fortunately for Toshi, his durability went way up when he increased his gravity or he'd probably have broken his hand. She returned with strikes of her own, fast punches that he had to block. Going to higher gravity slowed him down, requiring split second timing to shift form normal gravity to heavy gravity and back again.

"Not bad," Kana laughed. "But you're never going to beat me if you keep going that slow."

She took a quick step back, giving her room to drop down and sweep her leg, knocking Toshi off of his. He landed hard on his back with a grunt. Quickly, he sprung back to his feet and brought his own gravity down, jumping up and over her, but her reactions were quick and she was already spinning around with a left-armed metal punch. He sidestepped that, backpedaling away from her fists.

Toshi took a deep breath and brought his gravity down, doing a backflip that brought him to the edge of the ring. There, he'd bought himself a little space. Kana was already running to meet him, so he ran towards her, then cut his gravity (not enough to float, just enough to make him light) and jumped, the extra force of his muscles combined with his lowered gravity shooting him forward like a shot from a sling.

Kana got her guard up again, but he wasn't going for a strike. Instead, he amped up his gravity, controlling his descent, tackling her at the waist. For a moment, he was on top of her and he increased his gravity several times over, pinning her to the ground. He scrambled to try and pin her arms, but she was faster than him and she boxed his ears, hard.

At least she'd turned her arms back to flesh before she did that. As it was, it left Toshi seeing stars, his concentration broken and his ears ringing. Unable to concentrate on maintaining his heavy gravity, Kana was able to shove him off of her, making him land hard on his butt.

Back on her feet in an instant, Kana converted her arms to metal again, delivering a downward strike that Toshi had to scramble to get away from. She followed with more blows, nearly striking him each time, until she was able to grab the front of his uniform.

One-handed, she lifted him. "I've been working on my throwing arm," Kana said. "Want to see how far you'll go?"

"Not today!" Toshi shouted, increasing his gravity as much as he could. If he did it too fast, he'd hurt himself, but if he did it just right…

He quickly became too heavy even for Kana to hold up and she was forced to drop him. The concrete cracked again under his feet when they hit.

There was a moment when they stared each other down… then both launched into another flurry of blows.

"Come on!" Katsumi roared. "Somebody punch somebody! Quit dancing around it! One good headshot… BOOM!"

Next to her, Izzy jumped, startled by the outburst. Katsumi smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Iz," she said. "But, I mean, _c'mon_! One of them should be able to clobber the other faster than this!"

Izzy shook her head. "It has been a long day of fights and they are nearly equally matched. Toshi has more mobility, but Tetsutetsu's reflexes and guard, combined with the open arrangement of the ring, make it difficult to take advantage of that. Likewise, Tetsutetsu has great power and skill, but so does Toshi."

"Yeah, okay," Katsumi admitted. "It's a good scrap either way." She truthfully didn't care who won. She knew that neither one of them would let it go to their heads. Both of them were her friends, so she wasn't playing favorites either. But the longer the fight went on, the more likely it would come down to someone making a mistake. And someone else making a mistake wasn't the same as winning by pure skill or power alone.

"Show her no mercy!" Sora Iida shouted, springing up from her seat. "Your chance of victory is as certain as the probability of death in the horizon of a black hole!"

"…Not that I've got anything against cheering," Sero said, "I mean, all for supporting Midoriya, but what the heck kind of cheer was that?"

"One using the accuracy of science!" Iida said.

Her brother Tensei seemed to disagree. "You are being hyperbolic and irrational, Sister. There is a one hundred percent probability of death within the event horizon of a black hole. Your suitor may be skilled, but he cannot achieve one hundred percent probability of victory."

"I am being a supportive girlfriend!"

"You are being inaccurate!"

"Both of you, shut up!" Katsumi roared.

"Aw, but I liked watching her jump up and down," Mineta wailed.

"That goes double for you!"

Katsumi turned her attention back to the fight. "Somebody better win so I don't have to put up with this."

Toshi blocked Kana's latest blow, his movements only partially slowed by his increased gravity. He returned with a strike of his own, which she sidestepped, thrusting out her leg in a series of kicks that drove him back. The two of them were just too evenly matched.

Okay, direct confrontation wasn't working… he needed to be smarter about this. Brawling wasn't working, so what would?

A thought sprang up in his mind. Yeah, that'd do it. It was risky, it was reckless, it was… Honestly, it was a perfectly Midoriya move.

He ran towards Kana, lowered his gravity, and then jumped. Not forward or back, but instead straight up. With almost no gravity to hold him down, his assent was fast, shooting up like a rocket. Up and up he went, the rush of the wind on his face making his eyes water. He had to do this right though, not go beyond the limit they'd set which was just about… _now_.

Gravity seized Toshi like a snare, as he increased his many times over. More times than he would ever dare on the ground, making him almost too heavy to even move. But here, he didn't have to. He just had to fall and stick what Dad liked to call the "Hero Landing".

_**BOOM!**_

Toshi hit the ground hard, with his fist and feet, setting off a massive shockwave that cracked the concrete of the ring and sent Kana flying. She'd been able to get out of the way of being directly under him, but she had to stay in the ring. No escape. She landed outside the ring, battered, but rolling and already back on her feet. She was tough, that was a fact.

It took Toshi a moment to recover his wits. He'd done this trick before, against robots in training, but he'd put more gravity behind in that he had before. Not quite one of Grandpa Might's or Dad's famous Smashes, but pretty impressive all the same.

Still, he couldn't help but feel some guilt. This wasn't the kind of trick he could pull off fighting a Villain, not unless he had no other choice. Too much potential for property damage or worse.

…It'd been pretty cool, though.

"Tetsutetsu…" came the voice of Hawkeye. She looked a bit disheveled. Had he knocked her over too? Crap. That was bad. "Tetsutetsu is out of bounds! Midoriya wins!"

"_Everybody okay down there? That was a smashing final move! Looks like the Number One's Number One Son is on his way to the top!"_

"_Another Problem Child. Of course."_


	41. Chapter 37: Final Round!

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 37: The Sports Festival Part 10: FINAL ROUND!**

"_And now we come down to the Final Four!" _came the voice of Present Mic. _"Let's take a minute to recap our finalists!"_

"_Do you really think people's attention spans are that short?"_

"_Were you saying something, Eraser?"_

"…_Never mind, just continue."_

"_Right on! First up, we have Koharu Kocho from General Studies! This moth-maiden's made it past some pretty challenging competition, but shown us to never count General Studies out! Then we have Mika Mineta from the Hero Course! She got past her first match with a smart mouth, but showed us she also has sharp skills in her second round! After that, we have Isamu Haimawari from the Hero Course, Class 1-A's only non-legacy! With high speed and a surprise secret attack, he's raced past some pretty strong adversaries! And finally, Toshinori Midoriya, who took us all by surprise with a massive gravity-powered Smash that would do his dear old granddad proud!"_

Mic continued, _"And now, for the final match roll-out! First up, Kocho will face Mineta! Then, we'll get to see Haimawari fight Midoriya! The winners of those two matches will then face off in the Final Round! It's still anyone's match!"_

"_I just want to reiterate that anyone deliberately breaking their bones or using this for dramatic pronouncements will be expelled."_

"_Thank you for that, Eraser! Now let's get to it!"_

The Final Four of the Sports Festival. Koharu hadn't believed it when she'd made the Top Eight; now she _really _didn't believe it. If her heart beat any faster, she was pretty sure it was going to come pounding out of her chest.

She wanted to tell herself that she didn't _have_ to do better than this. That she'd already done better than almost all of the General Studies students who'd participated in the Sports Festival before her (Almost all. There was the Festival about six years ago where a General Studies student had actually taken first place, but that had been because their Quirk had been a particularly strong form of invulnerability and they'd just outlasted all the competition. She heard they were working in nuclear clean-up these days.). She wanted to tell herself that she'd already raised the bar for what a General Studies kid could do by a large amount.

Yes, she _wanted_ to tell herself that. But some other part of her mind told her that it still didn't matter. That she'd missed her chance when she'd failed the Entrance Exam and that nothing she did was ever going to make up for that. That she might have a useful Quirk, but she was never going to be a Hero.

It was _really_ hard not to listen to that part of her brain.

Across from her, Mika Mineta was taking her place on the other side of the ring. The hooved and horned girl was known even to the General Studies classes and not much of what was known about her was flattering. After seeing her first match, it was easy to see why. But she'd also demonstrated some real skill in her second match. Koharu was going to have to be careful if she was going to win this.

Hawkeye pointed a finger at Mineta as she entered the ring. "If you speak right now, if you make any innuendos before the match begins, I will disqualify you. Understood?" Mineta only nodded in response.

The sharp-shooting teacher looked over both of them, then nodded. "Let's keep it clean, ladies. FIGHT!"

Koharu flapped her wings hard, desperate to gain some air as quickly as possible. Mineta was dangerous at both close and long range, which meant staying mobile was most important than anything else. As she climbed skyward, Mineta lowered her head slightly.

_Plop! Plop!_

From the girl's horns, a pair of purple balls fired out, starting small, but growing in size until they were about as big as softballs, flying through the air toward her. Koharu twisted in the air, letting the balls go flying past her.

"What?" Mineta asked. "You don't want to touch my balls?"

Well, the rumors about the girl were certainly proving themselves to be true. Who even _said_ things like that?! Let alone in the middle of a fight?

Mineta lowered her head again and Koharu took in a deep breath, then fired a sticky blob of her String-Shot. It met Mineta's balls in mid-air, smacking them out of the air and sending them falling back to the ground where the combined sticky attacks hit the ground with a wet sound that even Koharu found more than a little disgusting.

"Okay," Mineta said, stomping a hoof. "Guess I'll just have to make you come down!" She lowered her head again, filling the air with those purple balls.

Koharu was forced into an aerial dance, dodging the sticky projectiles as quickly as she could. It wasn't enough to keep them from hitting her body, she had to make sure they didn't hit her wings either. With her wingspan… she was a_ big_ target. She returned fire as best she could, spraying her String-Shot, but Mineta was at least as mobile on the ground as she was in the air. One thing was for sure though, they were leaving the ring a mess.

She shouldn't have been surprised. Mineta might have been a nutjob, but she did have an effective Quirk.

Koharu folded her wings for a second, letting herself drop, then opened them again, catching the air. The balls fired by Mineta sailed over her head harmlessly. Koharu flapped her wings hard and unleashed her Scales. Orange powder filled the air, her Sleep Powder. Her Paralytic Powder might have been good here too, but she'd used that more during Quirkball. Too much of any one of her Scales would render her unable to fly and she still potentially had another fights to fight. She might be able to pull off a couple other Powders too, if she had to…

Mineta sucked in a breath before the Sleep Powder reached her, then fired a pair of sticky balls straight up into the air. They fell back quickly and she caught them in her hands, before throwing them in front of her. They stuck to the ground with a rubbery sound and she ran to them, bouncing off them and up into the air.

Okay, she really hadn't been expecting that, even with having seen the same trick in Mineta's fight against Dashi.

Koharu tried to flap out of the way, but Mineta sailed through the air and grabbed her around the middle. Instantly, Koharu began losing altitude. She'd been able to fly somewhat with Ojiro wrapped around her, but with those hooves and those horns, Mineta was a lot heavier than the invisible girl had been.

"Let me go!" she cried out, pounding her fists on Mineta's back and head. The girl's skull was harder than she'd expected, but it probably to be, to support those horns.

"Aw, babe, we can just cuddle!" Mineta taunted back. As Koharu struggled against her, flapping hard continuing to pound on the girl, Mineta reared her head back and fired a volley of sticky balls straight up into the air again. "Fine! Let's see how you like this… _PURPLE RAIN!_"

Struggling to keep in the air as it was, Koharu could barely manage to look up and see the balls falling back down. One of them stuck to her back, but the rest of them stuck to her wings, three on her left side, two on her right. And then one right where her upper and lower right wings met, sticking them together and another on the tip of her left wing. Combined with the weight of the balls themselves…

Mineta released her, landing in a three-point landing and quickly backing away. Koharu struggled to stay airborne, but she simply couldn't. She fell, managing to stay upright, but her wings dropped under the weight of the balls, touching the ground. Touching it… right where the ball on the tip of her left wing was. She tried to flap it, but found her wing stuck firmly to the ground, pinned by the ball. She could barely lift her other.

The horned girl was circling her, looking for another opening.

Maybe she could still get Mineta with her String-Shot? One good spray, take her down? No. Too risky. It was all too risky right now. Real, true, fear started to grip her heart, and she felt herself shaking. Koharu held up her hands in defeat.

"Stop!" she yelled. "Stop, stop! I give up! I can't… I can't risk tearing my wings!" She wanted to cry. She'd made it this far and now she was blowing it all, just because she was scared. But she'd never really hurt her wings before. They'd gotten a little bruised, a little bent, but she'd managed to never tear them before, didn't know what would happen if she did.

For her own safety, she had to give up.

"Kocho has yieled!" Hawkeye announced. "Mineta wins!"

Koharu let out a small sigh, clenching her hands into fists. She'd failed.

"_And that's it for this match, folks! It's a new record for General Studies! This was one for the history books!"_

Toshi honestly hadn't thought much about making it this far. He'd certainly thought he'd do well, but he hadn't particular thought about whether he'd come in first or anything like that. While he'd gone in with no intention of costing on his dad's reputation or giving it anything less than his all, placing really hadn't been that important to him. He'd much more concerned about giving his classmates the chance to shine. Especially people like Haimawari, who didn't have any legacies to draw on or connections in the Hero community, or people whose parents were lower ranked Heroes, like Koda or Sato. They were his friends, his classmates, and his family. He'd decided way back at the start of the year he'd do whatever he could to help them succeed, even before they'd elected him Class Rep.

He was impressed by Haimawari's performance, really. He knew his friend had a lot of potential, but even he hadn't been expecting him to do as well as he had. And he definitely hadn't expected the long-range applications of his Quirk.

Now though, with first place in both of their grasps, he needed to give it his all and focus on himself. He wanted to do his best. That didn't necessarily mean winning… but it did mean he had to give it everything he had. No half-measures.

Thinking of himself first didn't come easy to Toshi. He'd always had a big heart, always tried to look out for everyone else. But if ever it was any time to do so, it was now.

"_And here it is, Sports Fans! Toshinori Midoriya versus Isamu Haimawari! THE legacy to beat against the great unknown!"_

"_You know as well as I do where you come from doesn't matter as much as what you do."_

"_Yeah, but fans eat up the hype!"_

As Toshi and Haimawari stepped into the ring, Hawkeye gave each of them a glance. "Try not to destroy the ring this time, Midoriya," she said sharply.

Toshi gave her a sheepish grin. "Yes, ma'am."

"I'm… I'm not gonna hesitate, Midoriya!" Haimawari said. "I've got to give this my all!"

Toshi grinned. "So do I!" No animosity, just both of them doing their best. He might have only known Haimawari a few weeks now, but he was as good a friend as he'd ever had.

Satisfied with that, Hawkeye gave them both one last look. "Good luck to you both. FIGHT!"

Haimawari launched himself forward on all fours at high speed, nearly matching the Twins for acceleration. Toshi had just enough time to leap over him with one of his gravity-less jumps, making sure he was high enough to avoid the reach of Haimawari's long arms. He landed lightly on his feet, spinning around immediately. It was still a little too late though, Haimawari had spun around in place once Toshi had gone over him and accelerated again. It was too fast for Toshi, who managed only a slight sidestep, and Haimawari's high speed charge slammed into him off center, knocking him back.

Haimawari spun around near the edge of the ring, coming at him again. Jumping over him… wasn't going to work. Unlike Sora, his turning radius was a lot tighter. It didn't give Toshi anywhere near enough time to get his own Quirk in line when it happened. But…

Toshi brought his right leg up and then back down quickly, increasing his gravity five times over when he did. The ground cracked under the impact, radiating out in a line from his foot. Haimawari was forced to swerve around it, giving Toshi time to take a quick step back and then launch himself forward. Toshi increased his gravity at the last moment, dealing him a glancing blow than sent him skidding away and knocking him out of his slide.

Haimawari scrambled to his feet, then pointed with his right arm, palm out. He fired off more of those blue-white energy bolts (That was so cool! How was he doing that? Had to be something with his his repulsion field…), but Toshi was already moving and the blasts trailed behind him. Toshi canceled the majority of his gravity and took a leap towards Haimawari, but his friend was quick, stepping backwards while reaching out with one of his long arms. His hand slapped against Toshi's chest and he unleashed a pulse of energy that made him feel like he'd been kicked hard, shooting him up into the air.

At the apex of the arc, Toshi increased his gravity enough to overcome his momentum, dropping straight back down to the ring in a three-point landing. The ground underneath him cracked, but not enough to disrupt the rest of the ring. Haimawari was already pressing his attack, firing more energy pulses. Toshi had to scramble to get out of the way, but Haimawari's aim was getting worse. Like Toshi, he had to be getting tired. They'd both had a long day of rough battles.

Toshi took a low-gravity leap again, just a short one, carrying him over the distance between himself and Haimawari. Quickly, he shifted into triple-gravity, throwing punches as fast as he could move. Haimawari dodged, side to side, avoiding his slightly slow, but powerful blows. It looked like those lessons he'd been giving him had been paying off!

Haimawari peppered Toshi's body with blows of his own, faster, but not nearly as strong. With each blow, he unleashed a burst of power, and Toshi winced against the impact. He was going to be sore and bruised, that was for sure. But with his gravity up, the repulsion blasts couldn't knock him off his feet.

Seeing that this wasn't working, Haimawari tried to step away, dropping back down into a crouch to start sliding again. He raced to the right, starting to circle around. But this time, Toshi was ready, anticipating where he'd go, using another gravity jump to put himself right in his path. Upping his gravity as soon as he landed, Haimawari slammed into him, but Toshi held his ground and Haimawari bounced off, stunned. One good blow would be enough to knock him out.

Toshi closed the gap between them, readying a gravity powered punch…

Haimawari's hands snapped up and he unleashed blast after blast, hammering into Toshi's chest. They were low powered shots, stinging more than they hurt, especially against his increased durability. But they made advancing almost impossible.

Suddenly, Haimawari dropped his hands, firing a single, powerful blast at the ground beneath Toshi's feet. The blue-white bolt practically exploded, shattering the ground and knocking Toshi off his feet, breaking his concentration. Haimawari _moved_ after that, hitting a high speed slide that enabled him to slam into Toshi before he even hit the ground. One arm wrapped around Toshi, he kept going, pushing Toshi along. He tried to pump up his gravity, but Haimawari just applied more thrust, barely slowing down. His repulsion force was way different than Sora's Jetpack, taking the extra weight a lot more easily.

Haimawari braked as they neared the edge of the ring and Toshi kept going on pure momentum. Increasing his gravity, he dug his fingers into the ground, barely stopping himself. He staggered back to his feet…

And then Haimawari hit him with one last blast, dead on. It hit him dead center and knocked him off his feet and out of the ring.

He bounced once, twice, three times, then landed. Back on his feet in an instant, let out a cheer. "That was _awesome_!" Who'd known Haimawari could do that?

"Midoriya is out of bounds!" Hawkeye yelled. "Haimawari wins!"

Then the reality of what had happened had sunk in. He'd lost. He… didn't know what to think about that. He'd been going all out, as best as he could, and still lost. He'd made it pretty far though, better than Dad had his first time out. That was something. And he'd helped get a lot of his friends pretty far too.

Maybe that was enough? As much as he hadn't thought about winning… he hadn't really thought about losing either. And now that it was over, he didn't know what to think.

"_Now that was one heck of a match! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! But now, Sports Fans, it's time for the Final Round! Be back in five minutes for the Fight for First Place!"_

"_And here it is, folks! The Final Round! Will it be Mika Mineta or Isamu Haimawari? Who's it gonna be!?"_

The burn-coma theory was _really_ starting to look pretty good right about now. Because that was the only logical explanation for how he'd managed to get to the last round of the Sports Festival. It also provided as good an explanation for how the victories that had propelled him here had been against Izumi and Toshi. It was his unconscious mind working something out.

What that said about the fact that this fight was against Mineta, Isamu wasn't really sure. He hadn't had long to strategize for fighting her, but after watching her other fights, he'd come up with the basics. He just had to not get hit, that was all, and watch where he was going if she tried putting some of them in his path. She was strong and had a kick like a mule, but he was fast and capable of fighting at a distance if he had to. He may have blown the surprise of his new technique, but at least he _had_ a new technique to use. None of his classmates had seen him use it before his fight with Izumi; even having used it against Toshi, that still gave him the advantage.

He'd been pretty sure he was never going to crack the top sixteen, let alone the Final Four, and he definitely never expected to be competing for first place. Even if he got knocked out now, that was something to be proud of. Deku himself didn't even make it this far his first Sports Festival.

From across the ring, Mineta blew him a kiss. He tried not to flinch.

Hawkeye fixed Mineta with a glare, but didn't say anything. A small blessing, at least. He couldn't let her get inside his head.

"You both ready?" Hawkeye asked. Isamu gave her a thumbs up and a nod. After confirming Mineta's agreement, she stepped out of the ring. "Then… FIGHT!"

"Tell you what, Haimawari," Mineta shouted. "When you lose, I'll let you touch my boobs to make up for it, okay?"

Behind the bandanna covering the lower half of his face and the goggles covering his eyes, Isamu felt himself go red. Just ignore her. He had to just ignore her. She was trying to mess with his mind, throw him off.

Isamu didn't wait for her to speak again, instead making the first move. He pointed his right palm at Mineta and unleased a volley of low power shots. Probably not more than enough than to knock a can over, but she didn't know that. None of them hit her anyway; she dodged out of the way easily.

With Mineta on the move, it was time to get moving himself. Isamu got his hands on the ground and fired up his Quirk, sliding along the edge of the ring. Mineta had stopped running by this point and laid down a volley of balls right in his path. He took in a sharp breath and unleashed a small pulse from his hands and feet, lifting him up and over them, while his momentum still carried him forward.

"Is there anything you can't do with those hands?" Mineta asked, firing off another volley of balls. Isamu shot sideways, directly to the right, narrowly avoiding them. He was grateful most of her shots were landing outside the ring. The more that stuck to the inside of it, the less space he'd have to slide around.

He gave himself an extra burst of thrust, racing towards Mineta, then turned at the last second, stretching his legs out to full extension. Her reaction time was good though and she jumped over his legs as they passed, then struck out with a kick when she landed. He had just enough time to jerk his head out of the way, her leg sailing by the space his head had been occupying. He didn't even want to think about how much that would have hurt.

His hand shot out and touched her leg, applying his adhesive force to it.

"Hey, that kinda tingles!" Mineta said, trying to keep her balance. "I like it!"

Keeping the adhesive force going in his left hand, he applied thrust out his other hands, sending him sliding back, dragging Mineta along with him. He spun, straightened out, but kept his grip on her. Able to drive forward now, he continued to drag her along. He just had to make it to the edge of the ring and he could throw her out…

"Okay," Mineta said, "this has gotta stop! I'm gonna hurl!" He couldn't spare the moment to look over his shoulder—maintaining two different outputs for his energy was taking up a lot of concentrating—and couldn't see what she was doing, but the slight _plop_ sound of her using her Quirk told him it wasn't good. A half dozen purple balls sailed past him, hitting the ground in front of him. He was forced to swerve and that sudden directional shift cost him his "grip" on Mineta, letting her bounce a couple times on the ground but roll to a stop. Narrowly avoiding the balls, he swerved again, bringing himself back to facing her.

Keeping his left hand on the ground as he slid around, he brought his right hand up and took aim at one of the balls on the ground between him and Mineta. Concentrating on drawing up his energy, he pushed out another blast. It struck the purple sphere head on and the ball exploded in a shower of purple gunk. It splattered all over Mineta, covering her face and eyes.

"Eyuck!" Mineta yelled, wiping the gunk away from her face with her hands. "Really? Didn't know you liked to play dirty!"

Isamu used this time to rush forward, slamming into her at high speed. The impact knocked her back and down, but as he tried to press his attack, she drew back her legs and then unleashed a powerful double kick. Her hooves struck him hard in the shoulders, throwing him back as well, wincing in pain.

And then Mineta was back on her hooves. She pressed her attack, firing another pair of balls while he was knocked down. Protectively, he threw up a hand.

_WHUMP_!

One of the balls missed, but the other hit his hand with a thick, wet sound. No, not his hand… He'd activated his attraction field! The ball was adhering to that, the attraction field he used to cling to surfaces, not his hand! Behind his bandanna, Isamu broke into a grin. He pointed the ball and unleashed the repulsion part of his Quirk.

_Ka-POW!_

Boosted by his Quirk, the ball rocketed away from him at high speed. Mineta, too surprised by this sudden shift (especially after how the same trick had pretty much taken Dashi out of the fight) to move, got struck head on. The ball bounced off her head with a rubbery sound, but the impact was strong enough to knock her flat on her back.

Isamu sprang back up to a crouch and rocketed forward. He had scant seconds before Mineta was up. He closed the gap between them just as she was pulling herself up, slapped his hand against her… against her… against her… _chest_ and unleashed another repulsive charge. The force it shoved her back like a shot and out of the ring!

She didn't look particular put out by any of it, landing on her rear. "And here I thought you didn't like me! she called out. "Don't worry, I won't tell Kana! It can just stay out little secret!"

She was going to be the death of him!

"Mineta is out of bounds!" Hawkeye announced. "Haimawari wins!"

So… he'd won.

He'd won the Sports Festival.

Him. The son of a couple long-retired vigilantes against a bunch of children of Pro-Heroes. The crowd was cheering, cheering for him. It was almost deafening.

If this was a coma, he hoped he'd never wake up.

"_HAIMAWARI WINS! HAIMAWARI WINS! THAT'S GAME, EVERYBODY! FROM UNKNOWN TO FIRST PLACE! LET'S GIVE HIM A BIG HAND!"_

"…_I have to admit, I did not see any of this coming."_

"_Did you just admit you didn't know something?"_

"_Don't get used to it."_


	42. Chapter 38: End Credits

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 38: The Sports Festival Part 11: End Credits**

Katsumi stared numbly at the scene before them, several long seconds passing before she's able to process what she's seen, even with the rest of her class going wild around her. Going wild might actually have been putting it mildly. _Especially_ where Loud Kid was concerned. She'd be surprised if Bird Girl, sitting next to him, didn't have some hearing damage after they'd watched Toshi and the Newb fight.

Toshi and the Moth Girl in third (and the memory of the Moth Girl kicking the crap out of Shiro Monoma was something she was _really_ going to savor), the Horse Girl in second, and the _Newb_ in first place. What was the world coming to?!

She would, if forced to admit it, confess that the Newb had actually fought hard. He'd gone full out using his Quirk, never hesitating, even against Izzy, which was something she'd struggled with. Katsumi hated to admit it, but she'd probably have been hard pressed to defend against his speed and range. The Horse Girl, though, she couldn't believe she'd made it that far. Especially since she'd won her first match by pissing off her opponent. It wasn't a completely unviable strategy, but the way she'd gone about it just made Katsumi's skin crawl. It was no wonder she and Monoma used to date.

"Quite the sweep for our class, isn't it?" Izzy asked.

Katsumi nodded. "You sorry it ain't you down there? You nearly beat the Newb and I know you coulda taken Horse Girl and Moth Girl. Probably Toshi too."

Izzy smiled and just shook her head. "Perhaps. I pushed myself harder than I ever had before and did not completely succumb. I am quite happy with that." She gave Katsuki a playful nudge. "As for winning against them, it is difficult to say, though not completely unlikely. I _did_ beat you, after all."

Katsumi stared at her for a moment, then broke into a laugh. "That sense of humor you're developing needs some work, Izz. That definitely wasn't funny."

"It was a little funny," Izzy said, crossing her arms in mock indignation.

"It was a little funny," Katsumi conceded.

Izzy regarded her thoughtfully for a moment. "And what about you? I was your first opponent and I defeated you. Do you regret that you did not make it farther?"

Izzy always was one for the hard hitting questions. She knew how much winning in general meant to Katsumi and knew that she'd been the direct cause of her loss. It wasn't an apology—Katsumi neither expected nor wanted one—but it was an acknowledgement of what had happened.

And what _did_ she think about all that? She'd given as good as she'd gotten. She'd given it her all, just as Izzy had. Sure, she'd lost, but she'd done down swinging for the bleachers. Like Dad and Papa said, that was the best anyone could ask for.

"I ain't embarrassed I lost, if that's what you're asking," Katsumi replied. She ran her left thumb over the knuckles of her right hand, still sore from where she'd punched Izzy's ice wall. "Considering I was going to throw it all away before you talked me into fighting, I'm happy to have made any kind of mark at all. Can't even say I'm disappointed. You put up one hell of a fight. Just… motivated for the next time around."

Izzy seemed satisfied with that and nodded. "Of course, you do realize I will be equally motivated."

A smile worked its way across Katsumi's face. "Then we'll just have to get stronger together, won't we?"

Another nod. "And then I can look forward to kicking your ass again."

Katsumi felt her eyes go wide. "Who the hell's been coaching you in telling jokes? Is it Sparky and Horse Girl? Or Ghosty and her gang of idiots?"

Izzy looked confused, exaggerated, faked confusion. "Joke?"

"I really gotta stop underestimating you."

On the third place platform, Toshi gave Kocho a reassuring grin. The moth-girl from General Studies seemed down, even though she'd placed. He could understand that, he supposed. The General Studies students who made it to the Tournament always fought hard and any defeat had to be heartbreaking. But she should have been proud of her accomplishments too.

"You did great," he said. "Almost a new record. Except for that one year, you did better than anyone else in General Studies ever has."

She did smile a little bit. "I know," she said. "Keep telling myself that. Still…"

"You really wanted to win," Toshi said.

"I really wanted to win," she agreed. "I thought maybe…

"Always next year," he said. The competition in the Second Year Sports Festival was way more intense than the First Year. It was _extremely _uncommon for anyone outside of the Hero Courses to get past the first stage, let alone place. But considering how well she'd done, there were good odds she'd be in the Heroics Course by then.

"Maybe," Kocho said. "Think I impressed anyone enough?"

"Could be?" Toshi replied, which wasn't nearly as reassuring as he'd hoped he'd be. "I could quote you all kinds of statistics, talk about the people who've made the jump over the years, but really, it all depends on what the teachers and staff see in you. But you fought hard. Smart too. I'm rooting for you!"

That did get another small smile out of her. Maybe that was enough. Not exactly the heroic victory Toshi had been hoping for, but he'd done what he could.

"_All right, folks, let's give a big hand to our winners! And here to present their medals, former Number One Hero, UA's First Year Heroics Teacher… All Might!"_

Grandpa Might's entrances weren't quite as dramatic as they might have been in the old days, just stepping out onto the field, and he was no longer quite as muscular as he had once been (though far more healthy than he had been prior to Aunt Eri restoring his health) but he was still a large, fit man, and today he wore a version of his old blue, red, white, and yellow costume, tailored to fit. His trademark smile was on his face and Toshi could easily tell it reached his eyes. In point of fact, Grandpa Might seemed to be practically vibrating with excitement and grandfatherly pride.

"_In Third Place,_" Present Mic announced, _"Koharu Kocho and Toshinori Midoriya_!"

Grandpa Might took a moment to steady himself before he approached the platform, first slipping a Bronze Medal over Kocho's head. "Young Kocho," Grandpa Might said, "you showed significant skill and courage today. A credit to yourself and your class."

His grin grew broader and he embraced her, causing her dark eyes to go wide with surprise. Grandpa Might was still an incredibly affectionate man, prone to surprise hugs. "I think we'll be seeing great things from you," he told her.

Grandpa Might turned his attention to Toshi. "And Young Grandson!" Toshi thought his face was going to split wide open from the grin. "Your grandmother and I could not be prouder of you! You've done us all proud! Your dedication to your classmates, your dedication to going Plus Ultra… You are an example to us all!"

Toshi was pretty sure Grandpa Might was going to cry, but he held it in as he placed the medal over Toshi's head, then hugged him tight.

"Grandpa… Might…" Toshi squeaked. "Can't… breathe…!"

Grandpa Might released him quickly, then rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Ah, sorry, sorry!" he babbled. "I got a bit carried away there!"

"_All right! Let's give another round of applause for our Third Place finishers!"_ Present Mic announced and the crowd went wild.

"They're cheering," Kocho said, eyes wide with wonder. "They're really cheering… for me…?"

"For you," Toshi assured her. "For both of us. People love a winner, one way or the other."

He knew he had a lot to live up to. His grandfather was one of the greatest Heroes of all time. His dad was well on his way to matching that, if he hadn't already. His mom was an incredible Hero in her own right. Grandma Inko, Grandma Yua, and Grandpa Hideki were all incredible people too. It would take a long time for him to reach their levels. But today felt like a pretty good start.

On the Third Place platform, Midoriya and Kocho looked proud and pensive, respectfully. Up on the First Place platform, Haimawari looked nervous as hell, shaking like a leaf, an expression of confused awe on his face. As for Mika…

_Finally_, she thought, _the respect I so clearly deserve_.

She already knew what her classmates thought of her. Oh, for sure, Chihiro and Akaya were her friends, and so were many of the students in 1-B, like Kana, Anime, and Shiro. And she hadn't managed to make genuinely nice people like Todoroki too mad at her at any given moment. But she also knew that people like Aoyama and Shoji dismissed her as trouble and that Kirishima-Bakugo threatened her with violence on a regular basis. Mika was even well aware of the fact that most of the school considered her to be a perverted joke. Word got around, after all. And she would proudly embrace "pervert." But joke? Never.

Maybe, just maybe, a few more people would start taking her more seriously after this. Of course, if that meant she had to actually start acting more seriously, than forget it. There were too many super attractive people in this school to give up on trying to get with as many of them as she possibly could before graduation (This would probably one day include sex, but for right now, she's settle for making out and some fondling. Her or them. She wasn't picky. She was just lucky Shinji was amiable to an open-ish relationship).

Hell, she'd be surprised if she didn't have a dozen plus new admirers after today. Nothing sexier than a girl who could kick ass. She should probably send the vampire girl, Kan, a gift basket or something though. She'd gotten the better of her through the utmost use of her provocation skills. That was rough. She'd do it again in a heartbeat, and it would probably be great against villains, but she also might well have cost Kan some internship opportunities by making her lose her cool like that.

Blood oranges, maybe? Or was that too much of a joke?

She was also, if truth be told, more than a little worried about the possibility that Daddy had seen _way_ too much of her fights, especially her first one. It might have finally irrevocability shattered his perception of her as his innocent little girl. He was supposed to be working today, but if he saw the highlights or something…

He might also try to kill Haimawari. He'd gotten to full on second base with that last "shove" that had sent her out of the ring. Which would be a shame, to kill somebody with an ass like that. Of course, Kana was interested in him, but that didn't mean she couldn't look at the menu.

"_And in second place," _came the voice of Present Mic, _"Mika Mineta!"_

"Young Mineta," All Might said, as he approached. He seemed to be weighing his next words carefully. Probably trying to decide whether or not to lecture her. Adults did that a lot. "You utilized all the skills at your disposal, even if some of them were rather… unconventional. Take pride in that! A Hero must be willing to use all their skills, no matter how diverse! Still, a Hero must also be mindful of their image as well! It is a balancing act."

With that, he slipped the Silver Medal over her head, deftly managing not to get it tangled in her horns, which was an impressive feet. After that, he gave her a brief hug.

As the crowd applauded again, Mika grinned. Second Place. Not bad, not bad at all. And Kirishima-Bakugo was sure to be furious about it… which made it all the sweeter.

First Place. He'd won the Sports Festival. He'd won fights against people demonstrably more powerful than him, like Izumi and Midoriya. All this time, ever since he'd gotten his acceptance letter, Isamu had questioned whether or not he had what it took to be a Hero, whether or not he even belonged in U.A. When he'd found out he was in a class with nothing but the children of Pro-Heroes, several of them the children of Top Ten Heroes, that feeling of unworthiness had only sunk in further.

But since coming to U.A., he'd made friends, learned new skills, and pushed himself harder than he'd ever pushed before. Midoriya, Izumi, Asuka, Shota… all his friends believed in him. And not one of them had treated him like he wasn't worthy of a place at U.A., no matter his pedigree.

And now he'd won the whole damn Sports Festival. And for once, he actually believed that it was really happening to him and wasn't just part of his coma dream theory. When they were gathering them up for the closing ceremony, he'd briefly mentioned to Midoriya that he couldn't believe he'd made it this far. But then Midoriya had something that had really stuck with him, crashed right through the self-deprecating cloud he'd been living in.

Midoriya had said that he had to believe it, or else he was just dismissing the efforts of everybody who'd been competing and fighting against him. He'd said that they deserved to have their efforts recognized, not just dismissed as some kind of dream. It was about respect, Midoriya had told him.

And Isamu had realized he was right. He'd been so caught up with his own issues, that he hadn't stopped to think about how that might have been framing everyone else's efforts. He respected all of them—even Mineta—too much to do that.

"_And now," _Present Mic announced, _"your First Place finisher and new Sports Festival Champion… Isamu Haimawari!_"

And then there was All Might before him, Gold Medal in hand. He'd almost gotten used to having one of the greatest Heroes in the world as his teacher, but had not had a lot of close-up, one-on-one time with the man. He wasn't intimidated, not exactly, the man was too friendly, too smiley, to really be intimidating. But All Might was still an incredible presence, a reminder of how far he has to go and what he might someday be.

"Young Haimawari," All Might intoned, giving him that famous grin. "Today, you displayed amazing skill and ability. You've taken a major step on the road to becoming a Hero! Whatever doubts you may have, know that while your doubts keep you humble, they can also hold you back. Use this victory as your springboard to self-confidence! And know that we are all quite proud of you!"

With that, he slipped the medal over Isamu's head, then hugged him. Isamu was taller than average, but All Might dwarfed him easily, leaving his head pressed against the man's muscles. Fortunately, he survived the hug with nothing crushed.

His parents believed in him. His friends believed in him. _All Might_, the greatest Hero of any generation, _believed in him_.

Maybe Midoriya was right. The time for moping and self-doubt was over. He'd earned this. He could take pride in it. He could use this to motivate himself, to be the best that he could be. His confidence issues weren't going anywhere any time soon. But he also felt more at ease than he had in a long time. A competition stocked to the gills with the children of Pro Heroes and the winner was him. As far as the public knew, a total newcomer to the Hero scene, and known only to him, the son of two very skilled, though long-retired Vigilantes. Mister Aizawa had been right… this truly was anyone's game.

And it was his.

"_And that's our winner, folks! Let's show all our winners, and all our competitors, just how much we appreciate all of them! They all went beyond! PLUSSSSSSSS ULTRAAAAA!"_

"_Hn. Do you have to yell so loud? You've already got the microphone."_

With two days off before they had to be back in class and permission to go home, Isamu walked the streets of Naruhata for the first time since he'd started U.A. The moment he'd stepped off the train, he'd felt more relaxed. This was his home turf, the place where he belonged.

People on the train had recognized him as the guy who'd won the Sports Festival. He'd had total strangers congratulating him and more than a few teenage girls trying to flirt with him. That had been a little awkward. But he'd managed.

Now, back in his own neighborhood, it was familiar faces that congratulated him, names that came easily to his lips. And finally, his steps carried him to what he always considered sacred ground, The Nice Guy Convenience Store, the convenience store owned by his father, Koichi Haimawari. It was the place where Dad offered up convenient foods and goods at reasonable prices, but also where he held court and listened to the problems of the people in the neighborhood. That Dad had been the Vigilante known as the Crawler was an open secret here, and the people of Naruhata looked after their own and kept it from outside ears and eyes. But if you had a problem, then it was well known the elder Haimawari would do everything in his power to help you. He'd made a lot of friends over the years, knew the right calls to make, the right favors to call on. Even though he had long been sidelined from being a Vigilante, he was still helping people.

Helping people, he had taught Isamu, was the absolute best thing a person could do in this world, Hero or not.

Isamu stepped towards the store, the automatic doors parting for him with a small _whoosh_. "He is the man who won the Sports Festival!" came a voice from the counter. "My son!"

He felt his face redden. "Daaaad," Isamu wailed. "You're being all dramatic again."

Dad stepped out from around the counter, slow, careful steps that kept him from aggravating his bad leg. "Can't blame a dad for being proud, kid."

"Give your old man a break," another voice said, growly, but warm and touched with pride of its own.

A second voice, tense and reedy, added, "He's had the Sports Festival on all day. Been glued to the highlights and post-game ever since."

The voices in question belonged to a short, stocky man with thick muttonchops and hair that came to a point, and to a tall, slim man wearing red-tinged glasses. They were as familiar a sight to Isamu as anyone, longtime friends of the family from his parents Vigilante days.

"Uncle Jube! Uncle Ichimoku! I didn't know you were going to be here!"

Uncle Jube laughed at that. "Wouldn't have missed it, kid. Besides, somebody had to keep an eye on the place while your old man was glued to the TV."

Uncle Ichimoku pushed his glasses up on his nose. "You did great, Isamu. Fushichou said to tell you she's proud of you."

Fushichou was Uncle Ichimoku's daughter, with a telekinetic Quirk. Together with Uncle Jube's daughter Mujina, who had a Quirk that gave her double-wooden knives in her hands, they too were familiar and friendly presences in his life, despite being several years older than him. He'd harbored a bit of a crush on Mujina at one point, actually. They'd both gone to other Hero schools and were sidekicks at different agencies. They'd encouraged him to try out for U.A.

He was glad he'd listened to them.

"Where's Mom?" he asked.

"She had a deadline, so she spent the day in her office at home," Dad said. "But if I know your mother, she's already put together a surprise party for you."

Dad hesitated, then added, "…Well, she's probably gone out and picked up a cake. …She's probably raided the freezer for ice cream. …If we leave now, there might still be some for us."

Isamu had to laugh at that. It was certainly an accurate description of his mom. Planning and organization were not exactly her strong suits. Her desk in her office looked like a paper bomb had gone off in it and she was perpetually up against the wall on her deadlines.

"You okay closing up early?" he asked his dad.

"Sure," Dad said. "Benefits of owning the place. People will understand."

Dad gave him another look over, a faraway look in his eyes.

"You, ah, you okay, Dad?" he asked.

"Just… so proud of you," Dad said. "I'm proud of the work me and your mom did. We helped a lot of people. Maybe even helped save the city once. Small works do wonders and I was proud to be a friendly neighborhood Vigilante. But you… you're going to be truly spectacular, amazing, sensational… and a whole bunch of adjectives I haven't even thought of yet."

"Daaad," Isamu wailed again. "Don't be so mushy, okay?" But he was smiling.

Dad went on, "So. Any idea what Heroes might try scouting you?"

…He hadn't thought about that!


	43. The Sports Festival: Bonus Round

**Their Hero Academia –The Sports Festival: Bonus Round!**

If ever there was going to be a day for Villains to get up to something, Izuku thought, this would have been it. Some of the highest ranked Heroes in the country were in the VIP box at the Sports Festival stadium, and he knew many more Heroes were also in the audience in the stands. In the box with him were Ochaco, Kacchan and Eijiro, Shoto and Momo, Tenya and Mei, Pony, and Tetsutetsu. Tetsutetsu could have been in the teacher's box with Itsuka, but with Minoru working, he had volunteered to accompany Pony.

Izuku was glad that Mirio had agreed to take watch in the Agency today, so that he could attend. Mirio's own son, David, was competing, of course, but as he was in the Support Course, his desire to make it further was not particularly great. Mom was here too, in the teacher's box with Dad. Some of his other friends were in the stands too, like Hitoshi and Camie and Mashiro and Toru. Others were working or watching on TV at home.

Down in front of them, his youngest daughter, Mako, sat on the floor with Kacchan's youngest, Tai. The two were only a few months apart in age and had been good friends pretty much their entire lives. His middle daughter, Hana, stood in the back of the room, barely looking up from her cellphone. He should probably have said something, but that was an uphill battle and he wasn't really interested in fighting it today.

"Big Sister's going to win!" Tai said.

"Nuh-uh!" Mako countered, crossing her arms. "You're wrong, Tai! Toshi's going to win!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Hey." Before Izuku could speak up, Kacchan was, bending down next to the two five year olds. He put a hand on each of their shoulders. "What did I tell you, Tai?"

The little blond looked up at his dad, thinking for a moment. "That… it doesn't matter who wins, so long as everybody does their best?"

"Right," Kacchan said, giving both children a smile. "So it's okay to want Katsumi or Toshi to win. But you shouldn't fight about it, okay?"

"Okay," Tai said.

"Okay," Mako added.

"Good," Kacchan said, before returning to his seat.

Ochaco turned her head to look at Kacchan. "That was some pretty Plus Ultra parenting, Katsuki," she said. They were pretty lucky overall. Mako was about as well-behaved as you could expect from a five year old girl and Toshi had been an incredibly stress free child to raise (except for the part when his Quirk had come in and they'd had to tie him to his bed to keep him from floating off in his sleep). Hana was their biggest problem and even that was more teenage moodiness than anything.

"Of course it was," Kacchan said. "I'm good at everything. Why wouldn't I be good at parenting?"

"Very manly parenting, Bakubabe," Eijiro said, sitting on Kacchan's left, next to Izuku.

Izuku laughed at that. Some things never changed.

"You just keep on believing that," Shoto said, sitting on the other side of Kacchan.

"What's that supposed to mean, IcyHot?"

"I think you know what it means."

"Oh, it is good to see you both!" A new voice interrupted them and from behind, huge arms wrapped themselves around Shoto and Kacchan.

"You?" Kacchan growled, trying to slip out of the big man's grasp. "What're you doing here? You kid doesn't even _go_ to this school!"

Inasa Yoarashi just laughed. "Are you kidding?" he asked. "I _love_ U.A.!"

"Oh. Yoarashi. How… _good_… to see you." Shoto was trying to look pleased, but failing miserably at it. Inasa didn't notice though. He never did. No matter how much Kacchan or Shoto tried to express their displeasure with him, he just assumed they were friends.

Not surprising that he'd gotten an invitation, though. He _was_ the Number Five Hero currently, even if he wasn't a U.A. graduate.

"Besides," Inasa added, "my son _really_ wanted to see his girlfriend compete! How could I say no?"

"Someone's dating that psychotic cyclone you call a kid?" Kacchan asked.

"Yes!" Inasa bellow. "I haven't met her yet, but he talks about her constantly! I believe her name is Mika!"

Pony perked up at that. "Oh! Then you must be Shinji's dad! Come sit by me! We should talk… especially since Minny doesn't know about him yet."

"If you are all done," Tenya said, standing, arms chopping through the air, "the Festival is about to start! May I suggest you all pay our children and their classmates the attention they deserve?"

Izuku settled in, taking Ochaco's hand in his. Something told him this was going to be an amazing show.

"So anyway," Eijiro said, "I decided to do one of those DNA ancestry things, 'cause, you know, I only really know about one of my moms for bio family. Turns out somebody with the same bio-dad as me did too! I've got a half-brother out there somewhere!"

"Bro!" Tetsutetsu piped up, from the other end of the row. "That's so weird! I did the same thing, and it turns out I've got a half-brother too! What a coincidence! That's just freaky!"

Izuku watched as Kacchan looked between his husband and Tetsutetsu. He'd known his friend long enough to see the war going on behind his eyes. Kacchan was considering whether or not to say anything and what he'd have to deal with if he did. There was a quiet, tense moment in the room.

"Yeah," Kacchan added eventually, "really flipping weird."

Pony gave her former classmate a funny look. "Maybe… you two are brothers?" she tried.

Tetsutetsu laughed hard at that, slapping a hand against his knee. "Oh, that's a good one, Pony! Can you imagine that, Eijiro?"

Eijiro laughed just as loud. "Real good one," he agreed. "We're a lot alike, Pony, but brothers? Nah. That's just silly."

"But…" Pony began.

Kacchan locked eyes with her. "Just let it go."

"Guys," Izuku interrupted, "look!"

Below, on the obstacle course, one of his son's classmates, Isamu Haimawari, was racing across the finish line, with several of the others not far behind. It wans't long before they crossed. As each of their kids crossed the finish line, cheers went up from the parents.

"So that's the kid Izumi was talking about," Shoto said. "Pretty impressive speed."

"Better than that unmanly teleporter," Eijiro said.

"Strange," Tenya said. "His Quirk reminds me of something my brother once told me, but I cannot place where…"

"Fast guy, that's for sure," Mei agreed. "Bet he could use some better gear though…"

"Not everything requires additional gear, Mei, useful though it may be."

"You take that back right now, Tenya, or you're sleeping on the couch."

"I…" Tenya sputtered. "…Yes, dear."

"Quite the display of teamwork," Momo noted.

"I noticed that too," Izuku agreed. "They combined mobility-based Quirks with offensive power, letting them watch each other's backs while still moving forward. Not a one hundred percent one to one match, but I think they mostly compensated pretty well… Might have been a little better to align both Twins with someone with Quirk with more of a projectile Quirk to clear the way, but…"

Ochaco gave his hand a squeeze. "Deku," she said. "You're muttering."

He felt a little bit of a blush spread to his cheeks. "Oops. Sorry."

"Once a dweeb, always a dweeb," Kacchan said. He shook his head. "The team-up thing had to be Toshi's idea. Your kid's always thinking about other people."

Izuku felt a stirring of pride. That did sound like Toshi. Ever since he was little, he'd always been looking out for his friends and sisters. "Yeah, you're probably right. Good strategy… but I think they're in for an earful from Aizawa over it."

Hana actually looked up from her phone for a minute. "Dork actually came up with a pretty good plan. Surprising."

As Quirkball got underway, Shoto leaned over so he could look around Kacchan. "You know," he said, "I heard a rumor about this year's Hero Class."

Izuku turned his attention away from the field for a moment. He hadn't heard any rumors, but he also admitted that sometimes, he was a little disconnected from things. An unfortunate happenstance created by some of the distance that came with being the Number One Hero. "Oh?" he asked. "What's that?"

He could have sworn he was something in Shoto's eyes, but decided it was just his imagination. "I have heard that one of the kids in this year's crop of Hero students is secretly Deku's child."

Instantly, he felt Ochaco's grip on his hand grow tighter. "What?" she asked. Despite having no reason to, Izuku suddenly felt in great fear for his life.

"Oh, yes," Shoto said, his voice even and unchanging. "Just a rumor of course, but it seems quite plausible."

He paused for a moment, then went on. "My money is on the girl with the purple hair and horns."

There was a silent moment, before it was broken by Pony's braying laughter and then Inasa's booming laugh. Ochaco's grip on his hand relaxed slightly and he could feel circulation return to his fingers.

"Shoto," Ochaco growled, "that was terrible!"

"I've been trying to work on my jokes," he replied.

Next to Shoto, Momo was burying her head in her hands. She finally looked up. "I must apologize for him…"

Izuku waved it off, a smile tugging on his lips as he thought back to his first Sports Festival and the accusations Shoto had hurled at him then. He might not have been All Might's love child, but Toshinori had become his father in every way that counted a few years later. Something that hadn't gone uncommented on by Shoto at the time either.

"Leave the comedy to somebody with a sense of humor, IcyHot," Kacchan growled. "'cause you sure ain't funny."

"Be nice, Bakubabe," Eijiro said, giving Kacchan a playful punch in the arm.

"It was only a joke, Bakugo," Shoto said. "No reason to… explode."

"Was that a fucking pun?!"

"Bakugo!" Tenya shouted. "Control your language! There are children present!"

Izuku was impressed with what he had seen so far. As a parent, of course, he was most focused on Toshi, but all the students who had made it through the first two rounds had done amazingly. Lots of General Studies students had made it through the first round too, which was always good, even if only one of them had made it to the Tournament round. Kocho was definitely skilled; he wondered how she wasn't in the Hero Course to begin with. Maybe he'd talk to Dad about it later. What he'd seen so far was pretty impressive. It was ultimately the faculty's decision, but the word from a seasoned Pro Hero like him would go pretty far when it came time to consider transfers.

It was when Izumi and Katsumi came up to fight that things got tense.

"Okay," he said. "We knew this was going to happen. Everybody relax. Remember, the kids are all friends and this is just a friendly competition."

Nevertheless, he could see Shoto and Kacchan were shooting each other glares already and not a single blow had been thrown.

Eijiro leaned forward in his seat. "Is she… giving up?"

"Why would she not want to fight Izumi?" Shoto asked, rubbing his chin.

"…I'm sure she has her reasons," Momo said, and Izuku was glad for it. Shoto was… not good at interpreting relationships. It was enough of a dodge that none of them had to explain it to him.

"How unsportsmanlike!" Tenya yelled. "She is doing Izumi a great dishonor!"

Kacchan leaned forward too. "C'mon, kid. Remember what I taught you…"

Fortunately for all involved, it looked like Katsumi was going to fight after all.

"All right!" Eijiro yelled, jumping up from his seat. "Kick her ass, Honey!"

That got him a horrified look from Momo. "Eijiro! How could you _say_ something like that?!"

Eijiro plopped back down in his seat, looking embarrassed. "Sorry," he said. "I got carried away."

"I can't look!" Inasa lamented, hand over his eyes. "The children of two of my best friends! How can I decide who to root for?!"

"Root for my daughter!" Kacchan growled. "You all better be rooting for her! It's her first fight!"

"It's Izumi's too," Shoto corrected him.

"Shut up, IcyHot! She's gonna kick your kid's ass!"

"I doubt that."

"You wanna bet?!"

"Shoto… Kacchan…" Izuku began, getting up just in case he had to separate them. This was going to be tense.

"Oh, that's going be awkward," Izuku said, as they watched Toshi and Sora Iida take the field to fight each other.

"Look at our baby!" Mei yelled, wrapping her arms around Tenya. "I'm so proud of her! She's gonna kick his ass!"

Tenya frowned. "Mei, while the spirit of competition should be embraced, you can at least be civil about it…"

The pink-haired inventor shrugged. "I said what I said."

"We haven't really talked about the fact that the kids are dating, have we?" Ochaco asked. "How're you holding up with both of yours dating, Tenya?"

Izuku was certain he saw a slight twitch to Tenya's left eye. Tenya lived what was, to all outside appearances, a very stressful life, with his mad scientist wife and equally excitable children, but he seemed very content and always spoke glowingly of them all. Perhaps the chaos was welcome in his otherwise structured and ordered life.

"It has been… challenging," Tenya said after a moment, "to realize just how much they are growing. I trust Toshi to be a perfect gentleman, of course, and I am trying to think kindly of Takuma."

"Better not let Mina hear you say that," Izuku replied. "But I appreciate the vote of confidence. Assuming they don't break up over this, I know Toshi will treat Sora right."

He admitted, he'd been surprised when Toshi had told them about it. Their son had always gotten along fine with all of the other kids, male or female, but had always seemed a bit nervous around female attention. Granted, a lot of that had come from Mika Mineta, who would make just about anybody nervous…

"Well, at least Sora's first Sports Festival will not go like mine did," Tenya said. Finding out his brother had been brutally assaulted… Yeah, that probably colored his memories some.

"Well, it _was_ when I first started thinking about you, Tenny," Mei told him. "So it ain't all bad."

Tenya blushed at that. "There is also that," he agreed.

"We should get together some time, though," Izuku said. "See if Mina and Hanta want to come. Get together with the kids."

"Oh, that's a great idea, Deku!" Ochaco said. "It'll be like a quintuple date! Mina will love it!"

There was that twitch of Tenya's again…

"Toshi's doing better than I did too," Izuku said. "No broken bones! And he's really picked up some of Gran's style…"

"Oh, you should have seen her, honey!" Pony said into her phone. "She was amazing! Yes, love you too. We'll watch it together tonight!"

There were a lot of words to describe Mika Mineta's first fight in the Tournament, but Izuku wasn't exactly sure that "amazing" was one of them. She'd certainly outwitted her opponent, but it was hard to exactly call it a "clean" win. All was fair game, he supposed, but some of the things that had come out of her mouth…

Inasa grinned broadly. "I see what my son sees in her! Such a lively young lady!"

Pony hung up the phone. "Minny has a big blind spot where Mika is concerned," she said. "But I'm not sure it's big enough for this. That is going to be a very awkward conversation."

Next to her, Tetsutetsu just laughed. "She really does take after him, doesn't she? You really turned that guy around, Pony."

The horned-woman shrugged at that. "Minny just needed somebody who wasn't going to immediately reject him. Maybe he kind of tricked me the first time, but he proved he was a sweetheart underneath it. …And also really good with his hands and tongue and other things."

Kacchan looked like he was going to explode. "I could have gone my whole life without hearing that."

Pony frowned and carried on like she hadn't heard him, "But Mika spends a lot of her time thinking about boys. And girls. And everything and everyone in-between. I worry it might get her into trouble someday."

"She's not nearly as bad as he was," Momo said, from the other end of the row of chairs. If anyone was certified to speak up on it, it would be her. Momo had been the target of Minoru's unwanted attentions and worse more than anyone. "Mika's got her problems, but at least she's not a lawsuit waiting to happen."

Ochaco nodded along. "No offense, Pony, but before he met you, he was, well, I don't think any of us liked him very much."

"I know," she said. "He told me all of this, when we started to get serious."

"Pretty manly of him, owning up to everything," Eijiro admitted.

"You're still planning on giving her an offer, right, Tenya?" Pony asked, big eyes hopeful and wide.

"I am," Tenya agreed. "If she accepts, I will do my best to give her some more rigorous discipline, but I can make no promises."

Pony nodded at that. "I hate to do anything to dampen her spirit, but she's going to need to buckle down eventually. Even Minny figured that one out."

"Your kid's a freak," Kacchan said, drawing an angry squawk from Pony and stares of disapproval from everyone else. "But she's fighting with everything she's got. That's something to be proud of."

Leave it to Kacchan to get straight to the point…

"Who the hell _is_ this kid?" Kacchan growled, as they watched Isamu Haimawari dodge more of Izumi's attacks. He waved a hand in the vague direction of the arena. "Skills like that don't just come out of nowhere! Who's been teaching him?!"

Izuku put a hand on his chin, watching as the young man zipped around the ring. "I'm _sure_ I've read about something with that kind of Quirk before," he said. "Not a Pro-Hero though, but then where? Maybe a Vigilante? I didn't really follow those, but sometimes they were pretty hard to ignore…"

Where _had_ he seen a Quirk like that before? High mobility, yes, but also some kind of adhesion? And some kind of repulsive force? Very versatile, that was for sure. And it was easy to see why Toshi spoke so highly of Haimawari. Without wanting to brag too much… their kids all had quite the advantage and leg up over a lot of the other students. That he was competing on their level was a testament to his dedication.

But it definitely meant he'd had someone training him, someone who knew what they were doing.

Either way, the kid looked like he was going to go far. Izuku was impressed, to be sure. And it was looking like the bookies were going to be mad at him again…

"I could swear, I remember my brother mentioning the name Haimawari once or twice too," Tenya said.

Izuku looked over at Shoto and Momo. Both of them were leaning forward slightly, holding hands, tension radiating off of both of them. He didn't blame them. Izumi's childhood illness after her exposure to… No, not the time or the place to be reflecting on it. But he couldn't begrudge them their concern. She'd nearly died as a child and still suffered lingering effects. She'd done amazing well so far, making it to the Top Eight finalists. And even after collapsing after fighting Katsumi, she'd managed to get back in the fight.

That girl had real courage, that was for sure.

"C'mon on, Izumi," Momo said quietly, "you can do this…"

Which was when Haimawari barreled into Izzy, sending them both tumbling until she came to rest with her head just outside the ring.

Shoto was on his feet in an instant. "That rat bastard! I'll kill him! How dare he lay a hand on her!"

Momo was on her feet too, equally agitated, but her face lined with worry. "Is she…?"

There was a breathless moment as they all waited to see what had happened to Izumi, broken only when Haimawari helped her to her feet.

"What a fight!" Insana yelled, so loudly and suddenly that it nearly jolted Pony out of her seat.

"Such a manly display!" Eijiro and Tetsutetsu both shouted, both jumping out of their seats, their body language nearly identical.

"She didn't pass out!" Momo yelled, relief blooding into her voice. "She's all right! She's all right!" Tears filled her eyes as she pulled Shoto into a tight hug.

"She did good," Shoto agreed, quietly. He wasn't nearly as emotional as his wife, but for someone who had known him as long as Izuku had, he was just as relieved and nearly on the verge of tears himself.

"I thought…" Momo went on, "I thought, when she wanted to keep fighting, that we were making the wrong choice letting her. I guess I missed just how strong she is."

"We both did," Shoto agreed. "I talked you into it… but I wasn't nearly as sure as I sounded. Guess we've raised a pretty remarkable young Hero."

They sure had, Izuku thought. They sure had.

The results were in. Toshi sharing Third Place with Koharu Kocho, Mika Mineta in Second, and Isamu Haimawari in First.

"She did it!" Pony yelled, jumping up and down excitedly, possibly unaware she'd slipped back into using English. "Second place! Did you see, Tetsu? Did you see?"

"We saw, Pony," Tetsutetsu said. "We saw! Don't worry!"

Inasa let out a laugh. "Amazing! What a fantastic upset this year! Where else but U.A.?!"

"Yay, Toshi!" Mako said, dancing happily. Next to her, Tai was cheering too. Izuku looked over and he was pretty sure he even saw Hana crack a smile.

"I don't flippin' believe it," Kacchan growled. "This is one for the record books."

"Believe it, Kacchan," Izuku said. "You know as well I do _anything_ can happen at the Sports Festival."

Up to and including maybe him breaking his rule about scouting highly placed finishers…


	44. Chapter 39: Call Me Hero

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 39: Call Me Hero**

Back in school after two days off, Isamu Haimawari was still riding a pretty good high. While a part of him still refused to believe that he'd won the Sports Festival, hearing the congratulations of so many people, both those in his neighborhood and people who had just seen him on TV, along with all the discussion and replays being shown on the news, had helped to cement it in his mind. He was going to take pride in what he'd done, while still acknowledging there were several times it could have gone either way. If Midoriya hadn't come up with the plan for them to cooperate during the Obstacle Course or if some of his matches had been against different people or gone just a little differently, he likely wouldn't have done as well.

Still: he actually felt like a winner. The right Quirk in the right place determined a lot of life, and he'd had that.

"Newb."

He looked up to see Kirishima-Bakugo standing in front of his desk, muscular arms crossed in front of her chest. Her red eyes narrowed as she looked him over, everything about her body language reading as a challenge. But there was something else there too, some subtle sign of acknowledgement that wasn't there before, as though she was seeing him as worthy of her attention for the first time. She did seem to respect strength and skill, after all.

"Yes?" Isamu asked.

She stared him down for a moment longer before speaking. "You did good," she said. "Seems I underestimated you."

He definitely wasn't expecting that, but he quickly found his voice. "Ah, thanks," he said. "You did good too. Pretty impressive fight against Izumi."

"Izzy kicked my ass is what she did," Kirishima-Bakugo replied, but she was definitely smiling at the admission. She moved to take her seat. "But believe me. I won't be underestimating you again."

Well. That wasn't worrisome at all.

At the desk next to his, Mineta turned so she could talk to Kirishima-Bakugo. "What? No congratulations for me?"

"I still can't believe _you_ came in second," Kaminari, seated next to her, said, rolling her eyes.

"What, like it's hard?" Mineta replied.

At her desk, Kirishima-Bakugo fumed. "I'm acknowledging your victory while refusing to acknowledge you, Horse-Girl."

Mineta shrugged. "You know what, I'm going to take that as a win here. On top of my actual win. Which I had. And you didn't."

Kirishima-Bakugo started rising out of her desk again, rage twisting up her features. "I swear, I will I will blow those damn horns right off your head…"

"Can I get out of the way first?" Kaminari asked, Extension Cords up in the air in panic.

Kirishima-Bakuago growled, but sat back down. A quick glance around showed that Izumi had turned around in the front row and was watching them. Thank goodness for small favors. "You're still an idiot, Horse-Girl. But I'm not gonna underestimate you either. So keep up or get out of my way. And don't think you can rely on provocation all the time. It won't save you from me…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Mineta said, rolling her eyes. Considering how easily Mineta provoked her on a regular basis, it probably wasn't going to be as hard as Kirishima-Bakugo said it would be.

"How _did_ Uncle Minoru take how you won?" Kaminari asked.

Mineta shook her head. "He called it 'great use of psychological tactics'. My innocence is his eyes is safe."

"Talk about blindspots…"

"On the other hand," she went on, "he did threaten Shinji's life when Mom invited him and his dad out to dinner with us to celebrate my win after the festival…"

Isamu did remember a large teen in a Shiketsu school uniform embracing Mineta after the Festival, twirling her around. He hadn't gotten his name then, but that must have been Shinji. Who'd have ever thought someone like Mineta would have a friend like that? And apparently as a boyfriend?

He wasn't sure if he should feel sorry for the guy or not. At the very least, it didn't look like it was restraining her personality any. She was still Mineta, still hitting on everything that moved (which included him).

Of course, he had his own potential for a girlfriend on the horizon too. He'd spent a decent amount of time over the break texting with Kana Tetsutetsu, even video chatting with her for a little while. She'd turned out to be a pretty fun person to talk to and seemed a lot like a less scary version of Kirishima-Bakugo (what exactly that said about him, he wasn't sure). Intense and dedicated, but not ready to go off at a moment's notice. Plus, they'd turned out to both be fans of the cheesy martial arts flicks from the early days of Quirk-based films, which gave them a lot to talk about.

If all went well, they'd try and watch one together before the internships started next week.

The internships. He'd tried hard not to think about that over the two days. As the winner of the Sports Festival, he was likely to get a lot of offers. How would he know who to choose? Actually, if it came down to it, he'd probably just ask Midoriya and Izumi. They'd know. And there was still the possibility of being overlooked. His win would give him a lot of cache, but considering how many kids of important Heroes were in his class and the others, he wondered if people wouldn't be more likely to scout them instead, trying to network or curry favor…

Around him, everyone in the classroom was talking about their Sports Festival performance, some happier than others, some lamenting how early they'd been knocked out. The noise was only broken when Aizawa's sleeping bag clad form suddenly appeared from behind the lectern.

"So. Let's talk about the Sports Festival. Pretty cute, the way you used teamwork to get past the First Stage. Not against the rules, though it probably will be by next year. And Heroes should be able to work together with anyone."

You could have heard a pin drop in the classroom. Aizawa as a teacher was a state of perpetually waiting for the other shoe to drop. He didn't hand out praise easily, so where this was leading, no one seemed to know.

"Which means I'll just have to make sure All Might and the others ride you even harder to make sure your individual skills don't atrophy."

There it was. That was the other shoe. Heroics Classes already were pushing them right up to their limits and beyond… how much worse could it get?!

Aizawa continued. "With that being said, we can discuss your Internship offers."

He tapped a button on the lectern and the results of the Internship offers appeared on the board."These numbers are not necessarily reflective of the total number of offers you received. All Might, Midnight, Principal Nezu, and I spent a considerable amount of time reviewing your offers and eliminating any offers that appeared to be made simply to take advantage of who your parents are. A few may still have slipped through. When we get to reviewing your offers, if you find any, let us know and we'll handle it."

**Toshinori Midoriya: 4007**

**Isamu Haimawari: 3546**

**Mika Mineta: 1451**

**Izumi Torodoki: 400**

**Kimiko Ojiro: 203**

**Asuka Tokoyami: 106**

**Katsumi: Kirishima-Bakugo: 73**

**Sora Iida: 40**

**Chihiro Kaminari: 8**

**Takuma Sero: 7**

**Tensei Iida: 6**

**Shota Shinso: 5**

**Takiyo Aoyama: 4**

**Daisuke Shoji: 3**

**Kenta Sato: 2**

**Akaya Koda: 2**

"Hey!" Mineta cried out. "I did better than Midoriya! Why's he got so many more offers than me?"

"Maybe because Toshi's not a lunatic nymphomaniac?" Kirishima-Bakugo said. "Who sexually harassed her opponents on live television?"

"…Besides that!"

Isamu was pretty sure his heart had just stopped. How had that many people noticed him, thought he was worthy of their attention? Maybe not as many as Midoriya, but it was way more than he would have ever expected. He couldn't help but feel bad for some of the others though, who hadn't gotten nearly as much attention.

"Alas," he heard Aoyama say. "My radiance did not draw the attention it deserved."

"You shall have other chances," Koda assured him. "And if your internship goes well, it will already open doors to further notice."

"I suppose so, _Mademoiselle_ Koda, but still…"

"Congratulations, Sister!" Tensei Iida said. "You do the Iida Family line proud by your successes!"

"Do not be so quick to dismiss your own, Little Brother," Sora Iida replied. "With two of us, the honor is twice as large!"

"Go Kimiko!" Sero said. "I'm totally tagging your videos with "Sports Festival Finalist" now. Our hit count's gonna be through the roof!"

"Sorry you two didn't do better," Ojiro said.

Sato waved it off. "Always next year. And apparently _somebody_ liked what they saw with me…"

"Oh, man, everybody was so _awesome_," Shinso squealed. "You all did so great! Toshi was all bouncing around and Izumi was throwing all that ice and Tokoyami did that super-cool armor trick and Haimawari was all ZOOOOOM and…"

"Breathe, Shota," Tokoyami said.

"Still, an impressive accounting by all of you," Izumi said.

"Guess stretching by Cords out wasn't all for nothing," Kaminari added.

"I suppose it's an honor just to be noticed, even by three people," Shoji said. Isamu didn't know him well, but he didn't sound particularly depressed by it. Little seemed to faze the six-armed young man.

"Thirty-five hundred people," Isamu said quietly. "Still don't believe it."

"If you're all done?" Aizawa snapped, impatience working its way into his voice. "I'll be distributing the requests that go with those numbers shortly. As I expected, there was significant coordination on the part of your parents. Technically, a logical exploitation of a loophole in the rules I issued them against scouting their own children. However, in the meantime, we need to discuss your Hero names. I'm sure most of you have had these planned for a while, but Midnight would try to murder me if I didn't indulge her little games."

"Oh, don't sound so judgmental about it, Eraser," Vice-Principal Midnight said, standing in the now open classroom door. "I _love_ listening to what these fresh young minds have come up with…"

Koharu struggled to still the shaking of her hand as she pushed open the door to the door to the school's office. She'd been abruptly summoned from her Homeroom class to come to come to there and her mind raced with possibilities about what it might entail. The two days since the Sports Festival had passed quickly, but with plenty of congratulations from family and friends and even total strangers. Already, the rest of her Class was treating her like the second coming of Shinso.

Inside, one of the school secretaries, a woman pale green skin and blonde hair, looked up. "Can I help you?" she asked.

Koharu gathered her wits. "I'm… I'm Koharu Kocho. I got a message saying they wanted to see me down here?"

The woman nodded and pointed to a door marked with the name "Nezu" on its nameplate. The Principal's office. "In there," the secretary said. "They're expecting you, so no need to knock."

Taking another breath to steady herself, Koharu crossed the room and opened the door to the Principal's office. Inside, the strange mouse-bear-dog that was Nezu sat behind a massive mahogany desk, with All Might on one side of his chair and Water Spout on the other, all of them pouring over papers strewn out across the desk and a paused video of some kind of an angled computer monitor.

"Ah, Miss Kocho, welcome!" Nezu said, gesturing towards a chair in front of the desk. "Please, have a seat. May I offer you some tea?"

The hyper-intelligent animal was spritely, despite the small but thick glasses that rested on his nose and the grey around his muzzle. Koharu didn't know how old he was, but he'd been the principal for well over twenty-five years, even before Heroes like Deku and Ground Zero graced the halls. He had to be well past the life expectancy of… whatever it was he was, exactly.

This wasn't the first time she'd been in the presence of All Might, of course, having received her medal (and a hug!) from him at the Sports Festival. But here, away from the cameras, he seemed just a little more serious, a little more subdued. Water Spout was a new one, though.

"I, ah, yes, thank you," she said, as she took a seat.

"Very good," Nezu said, nodding slightly. "If you wouldn't mind, Water Spout?"

"Of course, Principal," the dark-haired Hero said, moving to the corner of the office where Nezu kept a tea service. "It'll be just a few minutes."

"I must congratulate you on your win again, Miss Kocho," Nezu said. "You nearly set a new record for the General Studies department. Of course, there are those who do not count Akamine's first place victory of a few years ago, since all he did was endure the attacks of others based on his invulnerability."

Koharu shook her head, slowly, so as not to overly agitate her antennae. "I wouldn't. He used his Quirk and his head and won fair and square."

Nezu nodded. "Mmm-hmm, my assessment as well. His path may have lead him elsewhere, but in that moment, it was surely his victory."

"Young Kocho," All Might began, his deep voice kind and encouraging, "how would you describe your performance at the Sports Festival?"

Koharu closed her eyes for a moment, taking in a breath. She accepted the tea that Water Spout handed her. "Sugar? Honey? Milk?" he asked.

"Honey, please," she said, then, when that had been added, extended her proboscis past her lips and into the tea and took a long sip. It was warm and sweet, perfect to her taste. If any of the three adults seemed disturbed by her drinking method, it didn't show on their faces. She appreciated that. Wings and antennae were one thing, and while they brought her plenty of attention, they didn't bring her much bigotry. But when she started to drink, that's when the looks of disgust usually came out.

The long drink gave her a moment to formulate her answer. "I did alright during the Obstacle Course. Middle of the pack. My Quirk was pretty good at bringing down the drones and I was able to fly around a lot of them. Quirkball… I survived. Barely. My Scales and my String-Shot were good at taking people down so they could be hit, but it was a _lot_ to keep track of. I didn't always do that good a job, didn't always realize just how big a target I was."

All Might and Nezu nodded. "Good," All Might said. "Please, go on."

Koharu drank some more of her tea before she continued. She'd come this far. They deserved nothing less than her total honesty. Besides, she was fairly certain this was some kind of test in and of itself. She'd heard rumors about the Principal and all the wheels within wheels he spun.

"I got lucky in the Tournament.," she said. "My first match was Monoma." Once I got out of the range of that Binding Cloth of his, there wasn't much he could do to me. It was just a matter of time before I got him with my String-Shot or my Scales."

"Nothing wrong with having a Quirk your opponent can't match," Water Spout said. "That's why I get called in to fight fire and flame villains, even though I'm a Rescue Hero. Not much most of them can do against a few dozen gallons of water. But it still takes strategy."

Not a bad point, now that she thought about it.

"You should know Monoma speaks rather highly of you," Nezu added. "He's sent no less than a dozen e-mails to myself, the three Hero Class Homeroom teachers, and several of the other teachers insisting that you be added to the Hero Class."

He looked down at a printout in his hand. "Ah, yes, and "preferably in Class 1-B.'"

"Against Ojiro, though, she was faster on the move than he was. She got up close instead of trying to go from the distance. Plus, you know, the whole invisibility thing. So I had to use my antennae to find her, but once I did, I could take her out with my String-Shot. I took a lot more of a beating in that one though. Much more of a physical fight. Not totally used to using my wings like that."

"And you still emerged victorious," All Might said. "Young Ojiro is an extremely skilled fighter. You did quite well to overcome her."

"If you would talk about your last fight, Miss Kocho?" Nexu prompted.

"Against Mineta?" she said. "Yeah, okay. I wasn't prepared for it. Not really. I watched her other fights and she's pretty hard to get a read on. One minute, she's fighting or brawling, the next she's trying to get in somebody's head. Add in her ability to fire off those balls, she was pretty dangerous. I figured I had the best chance if I got airborne and just took her out with a Sleep Powder or a Paralysis Powder, but she was just all over me, shooting those balls everywhere."

She looked down at an empty teacup. Nezu, All Might, and Water Spout gave her the moment to gather her thoughts. "They got all over my wings. Pinned them to the ground. Maybe I could have kept fighting. Even if I was pinned, I still had my String-Shot. But I was afraid to tearing my wings. I don't know… I don't know if I could heal from that. So I gave up. Not very heroic, really."

"You understood your limits," All Might said, gently, coming around the desk. He got down on one knee next to her chair and put a hand on her shoulder. "There is nothing wrong with being afraid. Even the mightiest of us have felt fear. But if you're to join the Hero Course, you're going to have to learn to surpass that fear and find new limits."

"I… what?" Nothing in that last sentence made any sense to her right now.

"We've been viewing your Sports Festival footage, as well as your performance during the Entrance Exam," Nezu said. "We've also spoken to your physical education teacher, and several of your other teachers. What happened to you during the Entrance Exam was a rather tragic accident. Based upon your initial performance and your performance during the Sports Festival, I was able to extrapolate a probable score for you if you hadn't been knocked out."

Nezu pushed his chair back and hopped down, slowly walking around the desk with the aid of his cane. "You would have passed with flying colors."

"I… what?" Koharu repeated.

"You do present something of an interesting scenario, though. While not _technically_ against the rules, no one has ever extended an internship offer to a student not in the Heroics Class before."

"I… what?" she said, a third time.

Nezu offered her a hand. "We'll have time to discuss the details. But more importantly, Miss Kocho, if you are willing to put in a, frankly, considerable amount of work to get caught up, we are pleased to offer you a place in the Hero Course for the second semester."

Isamu wasn't surprised that all of his classmates had names ready to go. And he probably shouldn't have been surprised that Aizawa had opted to hide himself in his sleeping bag in the corner while Vice Principal Midnight ran the show. He had a habit, from what Isamu had seen, of doing that to avoid anything he didn't want to be bothered by.

He was, however, definitely surprised by the outright _hungry_ look Vice Principal Midnight was giving much of the class. Wasn't she in her fifties? And in a committed relationship with Present Mic (the tabloids were always speculating on whether or not they'd get married or if she was cheating on him behind his back)? Of course, given the first time he'd met her, he'd nearly run head first into her cleavage and she'd just laughed it off, he really shouldn't have been surprised. Currently, she was perched on Aizawa's desk, her short skirt giving everyone a good view of her legs.

Honestly, half of being in this school was learning not to be surprised by things.

Midoriya had volunteered to go first, which wasn't surprising. He was pretty much always leading the way or taking charge. "Okay," he said, "so maybe this is a little simple, but I really wanted to honor Grandpa Might, so I'm going with _The Meteor Hero: Gravi-Might_!"

"You are _such_ a _dork_, Toshi," Kirishima-Bakugo groaned.

"A bit direct," Midnight said, "but appropriate in your case. I'll allow it."

Kirishima-Bakugo took the stage next, wearing one of those grins that usually preceded her punching something. "So, how about _Queen Explosion Murder_?"

Midnight pinched the bridge of her nose. "…No, kid. Just no."

The explosive girl laughed at that, a harsh, barking sound. "Aw, don't be so serious. I'm just yanking your chain. Call me… _The Explosion Hero: Bombshell_!"

"…I'm going to approve that just so you sit down," Midnight said. She looked across the room. "Question, Mineta? Or do you want to volunteer?"

"Oh, it's a question. I just want to know how Kirishima-Bakugo thinks she can be a bombshell with boobs that sma…"

A glare from Kirishina-Bakugo quickly silenced that. Mineta and Kaminari both looked like they wanted to bolt from the room whens he took her seat.

Izumi took to the lectern next. "Shoto gave me a bit of help with this, but I rather like it. _The Ice and Fire Hero: Thermo-Dynamic!_"

"Oh yeah!" Shinso cheered. "You used my idea!"

Midnight let out of a laugh. "Well, at least you picked one, unlike your father." she said. "Twenty-five years later and he still doesn't have a proper Hero name. But it's got passion! I _love it_!"

It was a good name, Isamu had to admit. Maybe a little bolder than he expected of Izumi, but she'd shown herself to be pretty bold at the Sports Festival too.

Tokoyami took to the front of the room next. As she opened her beak to speak, Frog-Shadow appeared.

"**The Froggy Hero: Super Frog-Shadow!"**

"We are not calling ourselves that!"

"**I get a say in this! That's my vote!"**

"You don't get any say!"

Frog-Shadow crossed her arms, looking like she was pouting. **"Fine,"** she said. **"You're no fun!"** She disappeared back inside Tokoyami with a slight popping sound.

Tokoyami just shook her head, staring at the floor. "I must apologize for her. But I have chosen the name _Bright Side Hero: Amaterasu_!"

"You just made that up!" Sero said. "No one said we could just make up words!"

The bird-headed girl shook her head. "Perhaps it is presumptuous. Amaterasu is the sun goddess, counterpart to my father's moon god, Tsukuyomi. But it seemed fitting."

Frog-Shadow appeared again. **"Can I change my vote to that? I like being a goddess!"**

"Make it three votes," Midnight said. "You've got confidence, Tokoyami. I _love it_!"

The Twins went next. "While we are certain Father would one day like for one of us to carry on the Ingenium name," Sora Iida said, "now is not the time for that!"

"He still has an illustrious career ahead of him," Tensei Iida added. "So therefore, we have come up with names of our own!"

Sora posed, flexing a bicep. She wasn't as muscular as Kirishima-Bakugo, but she was certainly in good shape. Midoriya was a lucky guy. Okay, so maybe he shouldn't be thinking that about a friend's girlfriend. But he was only human. "Therefore, I shall be _The Speedy Flying Hero: Jet-Red!_"

"And I," Tensei said, arms weaving a chopping motion through the air, "am _The Flying Speedy Hero: Jet-Blue!_"

"Really," Kirishima-Bakugo groaned again. "Twin-themed names. You're really doing that?"

"It is a show of familial solidarity!" Sora snapped.

"We are united as siblings in science and in heroism!" Tensei added.

"A bit flat," Midnight said. She placed a hand to her face, tapping on her cheek with one long finger. "Still… it will do, I suppose. Your love for each other really fires up my passions!"

Sero sauntered up to the front next. "Just call me _The Acid Tape Hero: Stick 'Em Up!_"

Midnight sighed. "Seriously, Sero?"

He gave her a grin. "I focus tested it with all my ViewTube followers. Eighty-five percent positive approval."

"No changing your mind?"

"Nope."

Midnight waved a hand in the direction of the desks. "Fiiiine."

Ojiro was up next. "So, um," she began, "I've been talking with Doc Clock and she's suggested I could be a really great Medical Hero someday, so… this isn't the name I thought I'd use, but I came up with it a few weeks back. I'm going to be _The Paramedic Hero: X-Ray!_"

Sato and Sero let out a cheer. "You got this, Kimiko!"

"You go, girl!"

Huh. Isamu knew Ojiro was a martial artist and a gossip fiend, but this was new. She'd probably be good at it, now that he thought about it. Pretty easy to check on somebody when you could make their bones and organs visible.

"How uplifting!" Midnight squealed.

Then Sato's turn. "Ah… So, I was thinking _the Hungry Hero: Chomp!_"

"Now that's a name with bite!" Sero shouted.

"Puns, really, Pinky?" Kirishima-Bakugo groaned. She gave a quick look to the front. "Still… not bad, Lips."

Midnight seemed to approve as well. "Short, to the point, perfectly encapsulates your Quirk! Though just what _are_ you hungry for?"

And then Shiso. As usual, he was practically vibrating with excitement. "Before I go, I just wanna say thanks to Kirishima-Bakugo! She's really the one who came up with this!"

"…I did what now?"

"I'm gonna be… _The Octave Hero: Loud Kid!_"

"You cannot be serious."

"Well, you always call me that, and it's such a good name, so I really hope you don't mind if I use it…"

"Knock yourself out, Loud Kid."

At that, Midnight nodded slightly. Even she seemed inclined to tiptoe around Shinso. "What youthful vigor!"

Then it was Aoyama's turn. "Please, please, silence all conversations and give me your attention. _Merci_." He posed theatrically, as though whipping around the cape he wore with his Hero costume. "And now, set your eyes on _The Dazzling Hero: Radiance!_" He let loose a small flash of light at the same time, forcing Isamu to look away, blinking furiously.

"You _do_ bring a certain sparkle to things, Aoyama," Midnight said. "But next time, lay off the special effects."

Koda followed him. "My own choices are not quite as spectacular or outlandish as some of yours, but I hope that they will suffice. You may call me _The Gardening Hero: Nurture_."

"Well said, young lady," Midnight added. "Simple… but I think it fits. And if you ever need any help on "nurturing" the boys…"

Isamu could have sworn he was Koda's rocky face blush slightly. "I am quite all right, Miss Midnight, thank you."

Then it was Shoji. "Nothing fancy," he said. "_The Well-Armed Hero: Octo-Punch_."

"Not bad at all," Midnight said.

"Hey!" Mineta piped up. "You said you were going to go with my idea! The Hentai-Hero: Tentacles!"

Shoji gave her a flat look. "I lied."

After that, Kaminari took her own turn. "Been thinking about this one for a while, but figured I'd go with something that combines my Quirk, which is electricity with my Cords, with something about me, music. So from now on, I'm going to be _the Plug-In Hero: Shock Jock!_"

"How electrifying!"

Mineta followed after that. Before she could even speak, Midnight interjected. "Now, I love a good double and triple or more entendre as much as anyway. And I'd love it just as much as you would to see some of these boys and girls squeal and squirm. But I _must_ insist that your Hero name be at least _somewhat_ family friendly. The Hero Commission is _really_ cracking down on R-Rated Heroes and Heroines these days."

Mineta looked somewhat deflated by that, but she pushed on. "Okay, fiiiiine. I used to think you were cool."

Midnight looked offended by that. "Oh, child, I am still "cool.'"

"Anyway," Mineta went on, "I'm going to be _The Cavalry Hero: Purple Rein!_"

"That's… surprisingly subdued for you," Midnight said. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Right as Rein," Mineta said. "Nothing? Anyone? …Well, it's a lot funnier in English."

Finally, Isamu went to the front. He tried not to wither under the gaze of his classmates. Midoriya, Tokoyami, Shinso, and Izumi: encouraging. Mineta: Looking like she was sizing him up to eat him. Kirishima-Bakugo: Glaring at him like usual. Midnight: Also sizing him up in a way that was probably really not appropriate for a women in her fifties.

"So…I've been thinking about this one a lot," he said. "And I want something that tells the world who I am. I've got a simple Quirk, but I learned a lot about how to use it and make it work for me. So I'm going to be T_he Three-Point Hero: Slyde!_"

"Spoken like a true champion!"

So much paperwork to prepare for the transfer. She really should have taken more time to think it over, time to discuss it with someone, anyone else. But this was everything she'd wanted. There'd be private lessons after school and during her gym periods, lots of coursework to study, all kinds of Hero history and regulations her future classmates had already covered. It was all happening so fast, Koharu thought her head was spinning. She'd have to design a costume, get that fitted and made… And if she did well enough preparing, she'd even get to attend the Summer Training Camp. They were still apparently discussing which Heroics Class she'd get into, but it was a real, tangible thing now.

"One more thing for today, Miss Kocho," Principal Nezu said. "Since I know you've had aspirations for the Hero Course for some time… Have you considered a Hero name?"

She nodded at that. She had for a long time, ever since she'd decided she was going to try out for the Hero Course. "I have," she said. "_the Lepidopteran Hero: Yamamai_."

"A, ah, bit on the nose, isn't it?" Water Spout asked. All Might gave her a curious look. "What? I learned a lot of nature stuff on the Pussycat's nature preserve."

She shrugged. "People with animal Quirks like mine get looked down on a lot. And called a lot of names. I'm not hiding from who I am. I'm embracing it."

"Well said, Young Kocho, well said," All Might said. "The perfect beginning to your hero academia!"


	45. Chapter 40: Answer the Call

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter Forty: Answer the Call**

Small computer monitors built into the desks had popped up, along with keyboards, so that Class 1-A could review their Internship offers. Everyone in the class had gotten at least two, though from how Aizawa had phrased it, Isamu guessed one of everybody's came from someone's parent.

And he had over thirty-five hundred. Not quite as many as Midoriya, but way more than anyone else in the class. How on Earth was he going to sort through them all? How would he know what the right choice was? There. Were. So. _Many_.

He looked down at the offers, currently displaying Hero names, agency names, and rankings. He recognized most of the names, though there were some he didn't. Quickly, though, he recognized that many of the numbers near the top were _very small_. High-ranked Heroes. His eyes fell on one a few lines down from the top. With a click, he opened it.

_Turbo Hero: Ingenium – Number Six Hero – Team Idaten_

_Mister Haimawari,_

_Congratulations on your victory during the Sports Festival! You demonstrated a remarkable level of speed and skill during the course of the Festival and acquitted yourself with honor. As you may know, while we employ a variety of Quirks at Team Idaten, we focus primarily on mobility Quirks. As such, I believe we would have much to offer you should you chose to intern with us._

_Though he refuses to provide specifics, my elder brother, Tensei, has insisted that I extend you this offer. I would have regardless, but it appears your name carries considerable cachet with him._

…Well then. That was off to an encouraging start. Dad spoke pretty highly of the former Ingenium. And the current one made the news pretty often as well. There was no denying he was a great Hero, if a bit on the stuffy side. It was a good offer and could probably teach him a few things about his Quirk. But he had a lot of other offers to consider.

He scrolled up the list and opened the next one.

_Blast-Radius Hero: Ground Zero – Number Four Hero – Ground Zero Agency_

_Congrats on beating Deku's kid! I don't know why everybody's talking about you, but ditch those losers and come intern with me instead!_

Isamu blinked slowly. "So… that was a thing that happened," he said quietly. He opened the next one again, without looking to see who it was. He never thought he'd be used as a bargaining chip.

_Shoto – Number Three Hero – Hot and Cold Agency_

_Haimawari:_

_My apologies, I never expressed my thanks for your attempts to aid my daughter during the first week of school. You must know that she speaks very highly of you. _

_Your performance during the Sports Festival was nothing short of outstanding. It's quite obvious that have real potential and talent. If you'll allow me the opportunity, I would like to help further your growth and take you as my intern. We face a wide variety of challenges at my agency, and I think it would be an excellent opportunity for you to broaden your skillset._

"No… freaking… way!" he said, this time louder than he expected.

"Yeah, yeah, we get it," Kirishima-Bakugo growled, looking up from her screen. "You're still all wowed that you won. Give it a rest, Newb."

"I… I got offers from Ingenium, Ground Zero, and Shoto," he said.

That fixed her attention on him, then got a laugh. "Of course. Dad probably figured out Izzy's dad was gonna send you one and didn't want to be outdone."

Mineta leaned over from her desk to look at his screen. "I got one from Ingenium too! Something about "a week of discipline and thoughtfulness," blah blah blah." She pointed to his screen. "Hey, you didn't open the one from Deku yet."

"Oh," he said, "yeah, I guess I should check that one out."

He looked back at his screen before realization hit.

_Can Do Anything Hero: Deku – Number One Hero – Mighty Agency_.

"…What."

"…What."

True, earlier, Principal Nezu had told her that a Pro Hero had expressed interest in taking her on as an Intern. But that had also come in the midst of them talking about her potential future in the Hero Course and everything that had come with that. And even once she'd allowed herself to entertain that option, she _definitely_ hadn't been expecting what she saw on the screen on the tablet All Might had handed her.

_Can Do Anything Hero: Deku – Number One Hero – Mighty Agency_.

_Miss Kocho,_

_Wow! You did an amazing job at the Sports Festival! One of the best results for a General Education student ever! You should be _very_ proud of your Third Place victory!_

_I talked to All Might and he says that you got knocked out during the Entrance Exam? Completely unfair! It's no wonder you were trying so hard! I'm glad to see you never lost your fire!_

_As you may know, I work closely with Hitoshi Shinso, a former General Education student just like yourself, and an Underground Hero known as the Voice. He was very interested in your performance during the Festival and in your story, and frankly, so was I. While he doesn't have the necessary credentials to take on an Intern, I do, and if he should just so happen to be around while I'm offering advice and tips to you and the other student I've extended an Internship offer to… Well, these things happen. _

_I checked the rules and there's nothing preventing me from giving an offer to a student who's not in the Hero Course, so I went ahead and put one in. I'm hoping Nezu and the other teachers will let you!_

_P.S. I have so many questions about your Quirk!_

_Deku_

"You," Koharu began, "you're going to let me accept this, right?" She hesitated, then added, "Please." There was no way they would. She wasn't a Hero Course student. She had no training, other than what she'd taught herself. She'd sparred with friends, but prior to the Sports Festival had never _really_ fought anyone. She didn't even have a costume!

Nezu smiled beatifically. "Yes… and also no," he said. "Have you heard of the concept of a "ride along", Miss Kocho?"

She shook her head. She could probably guess from context, but honesty here would be best.

The Principal continued. "Something from long before the days of Heroes or Quirks. Individuals interested in law enforcement would literally "ride along" with police officers on their nightly rounds."

He went on, "However, you do not have even the most rudimentary Heroics training, so placing you directly in an Internship would be inadvisable and potentially quite dangerous to yourself and your mentee. But we do believe it would be beneficial for you to accompany a Hero and see some of their action firsthand, as well as receive training from them. It should be quite useful in bridging the gap between where you are now and where you'll need to be by the time Summer Break and the Training Camp come along. So while you will be doing less than other Interns… We see no harm to deny this request.

"Besides," he added, "if the Number One Hero believes in you, who are we to deny such potential?"

Isamu stared at the top entry on the screen in front of him. He had to be imagining it. There was no possible way this was real, especially not with offers already from Ingenium, Ground Zero, Shoto, and countless others.

As though acting of its own volition, he clicked the message to open it.

_Can Do Anything Hero: Deku – Number One Hero – Mighty Agency_.

_Haimawari,_

_Congratulations on your Sports Festival victory! I remember what it felt like to win in my second year; I can't imagine how great it must feel to have won in your first! But victory alone doesn't necessarily prove anything, instead it's having the heart of a Hero that truly matters, the willingness to Go Beyond and give it your all._

_Based upon what I saw during the Festival and what Toshi has told me about you, I truly believe you have the heart of a Hero. You've shown incredible skill and heroic instincts besides. A great man once told me that part of what makes a Hero is when your body moves on its own, responding to heroic instincts before your conscious mind even has a chance to consider your options. _

_If you would like to be my Intern (and make a lot of bookies really, really mad), I'd be delighted to have you._

_Deku_

Still stunned, Isamu leaned back in his seat, numbly listening to the others discuss their own Internship offers.

"Who'd you get, Chi?" Mineta asked. "Any hotties?"

"I haven't even heard of some of these people," Kaminari said. "I guess there's Power Line…"

"Total hottie. And an electric music hero! Perfect for you!"

"He's, like, _fifty_, Mika."

"So he's a silver fox."

"…I'm getting you neutered for Christmas. Besides, Aunt Momo scouted me. She says she's got some ideas to help keep me from shocking my brains out. So I'm gonna go with her. You gonna go with Miser Iida?"

"Eh, maybe," Mineta replied. "Highest ranked Hero on my list, anyway. He is pretty cut, for a dweeb with glasses. And have you seen the yabos on his wife…"

"He's _married_, Mika. His _children_ are our _classmates_. And you're _fifteen_!"

"Just because an item's not on the menu doesn't mean I can't enjoy looking at it!"

Isamu made a quick mental note not to go with Ingenium's offer. It probably would have been a beneficial Internship, but if it meant he had to be that close to Mineta for a week, he'd probably lose his mind.

"Guess I could do worse than hanging out with Autie Ochaco," Kirishia-Bakugo said. "She does know a thing or two about kicking ass…"

"Oh, wow! Oh, wow! Oh, wow!"

With a small smile, Izumi looked to her left, where Shota looked so excited she feared he might leap from his chair and run about the room. "Good news, Shota?" she asked. "Promising Internship offers?"

He'd gotten five, she recalled. She was happy with her own offers; she had honestly gone into the Festival not expecting to get any at all, a fear she'd maintained after her fight with Katsumi. But perhaps she had not done so badly at all.

He gave her a big grin, purple eyes shining. "Ground Zero sent me an offer!"

"I _really_ gotta talk to Dad about his dropping standards," Katsumi said from the back of the room, but Shota did not appear to have heard it. Izumi would not repeat it.

Instead, she continued to smile. "Good news indeed," she said. "Will your accept it? Or are you considering any other offers?"

"Oh, I've got to take this one!" he bubbled. "Ground Zero is the _coolest_! He just blows all the Villains away and doesn't take nothing from nobody! He's got a ninety-five percent capture rating and his fights are always so extreme! And there was the time he fought Blast Master and he was all "You think your explosions are big, but mine are bigger and badder" and then…"

"_Breathe_, Shota," Asuka said, sounding a bit tired of having to remind Shota to breathe instead of talking a kilometer a minute.

"What about you, Toshi?" Shota asked. "You did so good! And you got so many offers! Was it your dad? No, wait, Uncle Shota said they couldn't do that, how about Izumi's dad? Or…"

Toshi laughed at that, making the little pink disks on his cheeks stand out all the more as his face flushed. "Uncle Kacchan did send me an offer, actually. Said "I can show you all the stuff your dad won't!'" Toshi laughed again. "But I'm going with Uncle Mirio. He sent me and offer and said he'd been planning this since my Quirk came in. And also that he'd be very sad if I didn't say yes,and I really just can't deal with that."

"And what about you, Asuka?" Izumi asked.

Asuka put a finger to the side of her beak. "I have several compelling offers, Shota. Several bird-themed Heroes, a few familiar-manifesting abilities as well, such as Raptor and Mob-Goblin. Though I'm not sure which one to take right now. Aunt Toru has made a fairly compelling case for offering to teach me some options for stealth."

"Your Quirks are rather different though," Izumi said. "Is that a good match?"

The bird-headed girl shrugged. "One of many reasons why I'm mulling it over. I suspect this is coordination on our parents' part, but since I also have many other offers…"

"You should do what is best for you," Izumi told her. "I am certain she would understand."

"Izumi's right," Toshi agreed. "You're got to be future-thinking here."

Asuka nodded at that. "Many good options to consider. And not all that much time to do it in."

"So who'd you get, Izumi?" Shota asked. "Polar Claw? Burnin'? The Maid of the Mist? No, wait, what about Thriller-Chiller? He's so cool! Or what about Smoking Hot? Mineta says she really likes her, but I don't get why…"

"All of them, actually," Izumi replied. Quite a few well-known Heroes with ice or fire Quirks had offered her an Internship, actually. Not completely surprising. Burnin' had even been one of her grandfather's sidekicks once upon a time. And yet there was one offer in particular that truly caught her attention.

_The Stun Gun Hero: Chargebolt – Number One Hundred Twenty Hero – GrapeBolt Agency_

_Izumi,_

_Hey, kid. Great job! I didn't get to see things first hand—stuff came up—but I did get to watch the tapes afterwards and boy was I impressed! I bet your dad and Yaomomo are pretty proud of you! I sure wish I could have been there to see Bakugo's face when you beat Katsumi._

_Anyway, I'm sure you're going to get a lot more offers than from your old Uncle Denki. Probably that Burnin' lady or maybe one of those ice guys, I can never keep track of all of them. But the one thing I do know? I know what it's like to have a Quick bounce back on you and I've gotten real good at figuring out how to avoid it. I only shock my brain maybe once or twice a month now._

_So what do you say?_

"Who'd you get, bro?" Takuma asked.

Kenta shrugged. He hadn't even bothered opening his yet. Two Internship offers. Some of the fewest in the class. He hadn't even been able to use his Quirk during the Quirkball stage of the Festival. And it's not like he'd have been able to take a bite out of any of his classmates, even if he'd made it to the Tournament round.

His Quirk was a strange mutation from different parts of his bloodline. His grandmother on his dad's side's Quirk to bite through anything, his mom's Quirk to absorb other materials into herself, and his dad's power to eat sugar for strength without any other harmful effects had all gifted him with the ability to bite through and eat anything. It was fantastic for web-content, great against robots in training, even great for a quick escape from cuffs. But not exactly the kind of flashy Festival stuff most of his classmates had.

"Hey, relax, bro," Takuma said. "Don't go getting all sad on me. Open up your offers! Nobody gets to be depressed when I'm around. Don't feel bad just because two is less than seven!"

In spite of himself, Kenta smiled. Takuma was a good friend. He looked over his offers. One from someone named Teppanyaki that he'd never even heard of (his tagline was _The Tappan Hero_) and… Suneater?

"The hell?" he said out loud.

Takuma leaned over to look at his screen. "Dude! Suneater? Nice!"

"Probably just because all our parents were talking to each other," Kenta said.

"Dude. He's a Top Ten Hero. All the friendship in the world isn't going to get him to stake his reputation on nothing."

Kenta frowned. "Maybe. Beats the alternative, I guess. Get anything good on your end?"

"Kamui Woods," Takuma said. "Dad did his Internship with him, learned a lot. But he's getting up there in years. Probably going to retire in a few. Tsukuyomi too, though. Which, I mean, he's got aesthetic coming out his ears, but I don't know if I can pull off dark and brooding."

He put a fist under his chin and squinted his eyes. "Darkness," he said in a growly voice. "Moonlight. Shadows. Revelry in the dark."

At that, Kenta couldn't help but laugh. "I sweat, I will give you five hundred yen if you manage to get a shot of you doing that with him in the background."

"You think I won't?"

Meanwhile, the Twins were engaged in discussion of their own.

"Do you think you can find a satisfactory Internship, Little Brother?" Sora Iida asked.

"Perhaps," Tensei Iida replied. "Turbo-Force and Veloci-Queen are respectable high speed Heroes, and Future-Force is extremely well regarded in the fields of action-science. The offer from Tentacole is somewhat more curious though, as I am not certain we have much in common."

"I have a similarly strange offer from Tailman," Sora replied. "And other offers to consider as well. Rocket Ranger and Fastlane would certainly be useful in refining my speed, though it is a shame there are so few actual flying Heroes for either of us to choose from."

"Indeed. That does make the decision more complicated. It will do neither of us any good if we can so easily outpace our mentors…"

"Cellophane? Really? That is the highest ranked offer I received? _Qu'est-ce que c'est_?"

Kimiko looked to her left, where Aoyama was boggling at the screen in front of him. "What's wrong with Cellophane?" she asked. "Uncle Hanta's nice!"

"Nice he may be," Aoyama said, turning to look at her. "But he lacks a certain _je ne sais quoi._"

"Could you _please_ speak Japanese?" she whined. Her gossip buddy he may have been, but all the time he spent speaking in freaking French really grated on her. "I don't even know what that means!"

"I don't know what," he said.

"Why would you say something if you don't know what it means!"

"_Non_, no… It means, "I don't know what." He is lacking in… something. Something I cannot put into words."

Kimiko crossed her arms. "Well, now you're just being mean."

Aoyama shrugged. "These are the facts, I cannot help them. But still, he may well be my best bet for raising my profile…"

Yeah, she was bored with talking to him now. She leaned back to look around him. "Koda! Shoji! Anything good?"

Koda turned to regard her. "Aunt Tsu has extended me an offer to join her in protecting the waters for a week. The Safari Samurai has also been gracious enough to give me an offer of internship, though I confess my parents do not speak very highly of him. He drapes himself in the trappings of the jungle, while having no special love for it or the creatures hat live there. So I am inclined to go with the more familiar."

"Aw, Auntie Tsu's great!" Kimiko bubbled. "You'll have a fun time! …You can swim, right? No offense."

Koda laughed at that. "None taken, Ojiro. And yes, I can swim. I am surprisingly buoyant."

Shoji's handsome (Seriously, he had to be the best looking guy in the class. Voted on by all the girls and Takuma.) features stayed largely neutral, but she saw a small smile tug at his lips. "Real Steel is my most promising offer," he said, and she was hoping he would say more, just so she could listen to his baritone voice. "Power-Punch and Extendar for my other offers."

"You're going to go with Real Steel, right?" she asked. She checked her phone for a moment. "There's, like, one video each of those other guys on HeroWatch. Go where the action is!"

"Most likely," he said.

"And whose attention did you catch, Ojiro?" Koda asked. "You garnered a fairly impressive number of offers with your performance."

"Oh, well," she rubbed the back of her head. "I kind of had this figured out beforehand. Doc Clock—Doctor Izumi—she wanted to take me around with her anyway, 'cause of the medic training thing… But I did look at the offers."

She looked down, then back up. "Lots of offers from Underground and stealthy-types. Fade-Out, Night-Strike, the Reaper. People like them. Which would be great... but that's not who I want to be anymore. Just because I'm invisible doesn't mean I have to be defined by that. I want to help people."

Koda gave her a small nod. "Knowing yourself and what you want is often the first step to success."

At the front of the room, Aizawa gave Midnight a look. "How much more time do you think they'll waste?"

"Admit it," she said, not giving in to his withering glare in the slightest, "you're proud of them. They garnered a lot of attention. Takes you back, doesn't it?"

"Hn," he grunted. But she was right. He was proud of them, even Mineta. They'd worked together and worked hard. There wasn't a one of them he didn't believe it. Certainly, there were rough edges to sand down… Kirishima-Bakugo's anger, Aoyama's arrogance, Haimawari's lack of confidence, his godson's extroversion, Mineta's… Minetaness, and other things, but that wasn't anything he and their other teachers couldn't help mold.

"They're talking with Kocho too," Midnight told him. "Nezu's ninety-nine percent certain she'll want to make the jump to the Hero Course. He did some personality evaluations and thinks she'll be best in your class. As long as you don't think you're getting to old for a bigger class." She elbowed him in the side.

"We're almost the same age."

"Yes, but I'm in administration now. There's a reason most of our friends retired. Not an old person's game, Eraser. Even if the young persons are so… _yummy_."

"Hn."

"Speaking of our friends, do you and Emi want to join Mic and me for drinks this weekend?"

He gave her another look , this one suggested he'd rather be set on fire. "Generic excuse."

"You did _not_ just say "generic excuse!'"

"I said what I said."

Midnight just shook her head and smiled. "I texted her before I got here and Emi already agreed to it. You're going."

"Betrayed again."

"Think of it this way, Eraser. The internships haven't been exciting since their parents were here. They'll work hard, but for us, it'll be a week to relax…"


	46. Chapter 41: A Mighty Internship Begins!

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 41: A Mighty Internship Begins!**

Might Tower! Once headquarters to All Might, now home to Deku and Lemillion, the Number One and Number Two Heroes, who often traded off positions in the charts. It was also home to two of the most effective Underground Heroes, the Voice and Glamour. There were also countless Sidekicks and an in-house Support Studio headed by Doctor Melissa Togata.

The bottom floor included a museum, devoted to All Might's incredible career, including a gift shop, with all proceeds going to charitable organizations and efforts. There were floors of phone banks, answering calls mundane and urgent, with the staff well-trained to direct the calls to the correct people or bring Hero attention to it. There were floors of offices, handling all the paperwork that came with such a huge organization. There were multiple floors devoted entirely to a Support Studio. And, of course, there was a floor each for Deku and Lemillion, and subterranean levels for the Underground Heroes.

Countless people worked there. It was, in fact, by percentage of employees, the largest employer of the Quirkless in all of Japan.

And it was where Isamu was going to be spending the next week for his Internship. With Deku. The Number One Hero. If he could take the necessary steps to the doors.

A hand clasped on his shoulder. "You have to go inside, Haimawari."

"Yah!" he let out a gasp, returning to reality. "Sorry, Midoriya. Drifted away there for a second. Just feeling overwhelmed."

"Relax, man," Midoriya said. He was interning with Lemillion, but he didn't seem nervous in the least. Small wonder, when he was the son of the Number One Hero, who had grown up with other Heroes around him like an extended clan of Uncles and Aunts. Lemillion was even his godfather, for crying out loud! He'd probably practically grown up in Might Tower. "You earned this."

"For what it's worth," Kocho said, wings trailing behind her, "I can't believe I'm here either." She too was interning with Deku. Or, as she'd explained on the train ride over, "doing a ride along." The Voice—Shota Shinso's dad—was also going to be working with her.

The moth-winged General Education student had been offered a spot in the Hero Course following her Sports Festival performance. If she could get herself up to their level, she'd be able to join them for the Summer Training Camp and then formally join their class for the second semester. It'd be nice, Isamu reflected, having someone else in the class who didn't come from a Hero-pedigree. Not that he didn't appreciate all of his friends, but they had so much shared history it was hard not to feel a little left out at times.

"You earned it too," Midoriya said He looked both of them over and hesitated only a moment before he spoke again. "Really, you guys can relax. Dad's one of the easiest going guys around. And Uncle Hitoshi acts kind of grumpy sometimes, but he's really a softie. You'll do great!"

Well, one of those statements was definitely true. Isamu had seen Deku interviewed often enough to know that he could shift easily between giving an inspiring speech to suddenly geeking out over a new Hero or one of his friends or even the interviewer's Quirk. He saw some of that in Midoirya, but he must have gotten a decent dose of good sense from his mom.

"C'mon," Midoriya said, waving a hand in the direction of the doors. "Let's go in."

Isamu grabbed the handle of his rolling luggage and followed suit.

Having left Midoriya behind several floors below, Koharu stepped off the elevator with Haimawari and onto the top floor of Might Tower. Passing through the lobby and other floors with Midoriya had been an experience; everyone there seemed to know him. Small surprise, really, given who he was.

She'd been here a few times on school trips and during one special civilian tour (her uncle, who worked the night shift dispatch, had managed to get tickets for the family), but coming into it as a potential Hero was another thing entirely. Maybe she'd walk these halls as a Sidekick someday? It was way too early to think about. She wasn't even a Hero Course student yet, not really. She'd signed the paperwork, the offer had been extended, but she needed to prove herself first.

A bespectacled secretary told them that Deku was in his office and directed them down the hall.

"Here," Haimawari said, pulling open the door to the office for her. "Ah, Mister Deku, sir?" he asked.

"They told us you were insiiii…." Koharu trailed off, struck speechless by the sight inside.

The whole office looked like it had been the scene of a terrible battle, the walls cracked and furniture turned over and broken. How had anyone not heard this?

"D-d-d-Deku!" Haimawari shrieked, pointing a long arm. "He's… he's… _dead_!"

She followed his finger and saw Deku on the ground, laying on his stomach in a pool of what looked like blood. His arms and legs were splayed and… were those his intestines? Perhaps it was unheroic of her, but Koharu let out a scream. They had to get someone, get someone to help, how could this have happened without anyone knowing?!

Suddenly, Deku sprang to his feet, somehow looking none the worse for wear. "I'm alive!" he said, a big grin across his face.

This time, both she and Haimawari screamed.

There was the sound of running feet in the hallway and another person burst into the room, a young man, maybe in his early twenties, blond, muscular, and wearing a silver and black costume, lined with red, the majority of the chest taken up by a silver shield-shape. "What's going on…?" He took one look at the room, at Deku, and at Haimawari and her, then slapped a hand to his face. "Dammit, Uncle Izuku, not again!"

No longer able to hold it, Deku let out a long laugh, nearly doubling over. "Sorry, sorry," he said, finally righting himself. "But you should have seen the look on your faces…!"

Koharu exchanged a look with Haimawari. What was going on?

"Okay, okay," Deku said, looking to a corner on the room. "You can drop the illusion, Camie."

There was a strange _moment_ and then the world shifted, the destruction and blood and violence done to the office disappearing and leaving it in its normal state. There was a big desk, covered in paperwork, and shelves full of books lining the walls. There was so much All Might merchandise as well, rare art prints and posters lining the walls and statues and figures covering almost every surface. Too, there was a picture of Deku, with All Might and what must have been his mother, along with Uravity and their children, all wearing matching All Might hoodies.

And there in the corner was blonde woman in a skintight catsuit, the zipper pulled down low to expose her cleavage, and a peaked cap. She was leaning lazily against the wall, scrolling through her phone.

"'sup, party peoples," the woman said, giving them a little wave.

"You're… you're the Shield!" Haimawari said, pointing at the blond man. "And you're Glamour! I knew you both worked here, but I didn't expect to see either of you on the first day!"

Koharu felt her heartrate slowly returning to normal. Haimawari geeking out over the Heroes was relaxing, in its own way. It was such a normal reaction. One she'd have probably echoed if the sight of Deku, dead, wasn't still trying to burn its way across her memory. The Shield she recognized, one of Deku's most well-known sidekicks. The woman seemed vaguely familiar, but didn't strike any major memory chords.

"I'm sorry," the Shield said, looking embarrassed by Deku's actions. "He does this to all the new Interns and Sidekicks. He did it to me on my first day and I nearly jumped through the roof."

"Hey!" Deku said. "It's a time tested method for surprising Interns, passed down to me by Gran Torino himself!"

"You mean the guy whose idea of training was to beat the shit out of me?"

The Number One Hero smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head, pointedly ignoring his Sidekick's question. "Anyway, where are my manners? Kids, this is Tamaki Togata, one of my Sidekicks, and Camie Shinso, one of the Underground Heroes who works here. Tamaki, Camie, these are Isamu Haimawari and Koharu Kocho, my Interns for the week. Koharu here is Kaito down in dispatch's niece. They're also The First and Third Place finishers at the Sports Festival!" Deku finished excitedly.

Koharu felt a smile tug at her lips. Deku's enthusiasm was positively infectious and for a moment, at least, all her doubts about being here were banished. "Your son finished Third too," she said.

"Midoriya's deserved it," Haimawari agreed. "He got all of us through the first leg with his plan."

"He's a good kid," Deku agreed. "Mirio will take good care of him, I'm sure."

The Shield nodded. "I saw the Sports Festival. You did good work, both of you. Wish my kid brother had done half as well, but he's happy tinkering with his toys. Nejire came in Third Place too, for the Third Years. Hasn't shut up about it."

"Shota couldn't stop talking about it, either" Glamour agreed. "Mad lit, kids. And Kaito's a total star. Keeps the whole ship running at night. Hubs likes him 'cause he doesn't get gabby."

"Thank you," Koharu said. Her uncle wasn't the bragging type, but she knew his job was frequently demanding and stressful, so praise from the Heroes who relied on his support was nice to hear.

Deku grinned again. "Okay, Tamaki, you want to show the kids where they can stash their stuff, show them to the locker rooms, and then meet me down in Training Room Alpha? And Camie, if you'd like Hitoshi know they're here?"

"Can do," the Shield said, tossing off a small salute.

"If he's awake," Glamour said. "Might have to kick him a few times."

"Careful," Deku told her. "He just got a new sleeping bag with extra padding."

Sleeping? Wasn't it 0800 or so? Maybe he'd been up late on a case? It was hard to imagine a Hero just wasting the day like that.

"It's that a little fast?" Koharu asked, a little surprised. "I mean, I'm here to learn, I know, but I'm so far behind…" Maybe Heroes just did things quickly. She'd studied them plenty, but didn't have any real idea how this was supposed to go.

There was still so much she had to catch up on. What she'd done to teach herself had gotten her far, but she lacked the foundations and skills the Hero Course students had. She thought she might observe or something first, but to just go for it like that?

"All the better reason to get started now!" Deku beamed.

"Oh, that was awesome!" Deku yelled, pumping a fist in the air.

Isamu came to a stop, firing a small burst of power like a retro-rocket. Next to him, Kocho touched down with a flutter of wings. Training Room Alpha turned out to be specifically reserved for Interns, Sidekicks, and Work Study participants, allowing them to hone their Quirks and skills in relatively lower stakes simulated environments, using the latest in holographic technologies. Deku had started them off with a simple obstacle course, throwing various challenges their way (such as catching a falling civilian or avoiding simulated flames) as they made their way across a series of rooftops. The nature of it meant he hadn't been able to go full throttle, and Kocho had been able to keep up with him that way. She was good in the air, maneuverable as all get out. And not afraid to fly headlong into danger. How had the Hero Course missed out on her?

It had probably started as a competition, but it had quickly fallen into something more like cooperation. Which was probably Deku's intention in the first place. He hadn't offered any instruction, just letting them go and seeing what they could do. Considering he had a notebook (Actual paper and pen! In this day and age!) open in front of him and was still scribbling, he probably had lots of feedback pending.

Isamu offered the purple and blue haired girl a handshake, which she took. "Good work," he said. While he was wearing his costume, she wore a U.A. gym uniform, having explained that there hadn't been time to fabricate a costume before the Internship began.

"Thanks," she replied. "You too."

"It was all right."

The sudden voice snapped Haimawari's head around, to a figure all dressed in black, a steel-grey cloth wound around his neck like a scarf. "Mi—mi—Mister Aizawa!"

No, wait, that wasn't right… In fact, he looked pretty much like an older version of Shota Shinso. Right! The Voice!

He wasn't the only one who recognized him, though. Koharu practically lit up at the sight of him. "You're Shinso!" she yelled. "You're a legend!"

The tired looking man shrugged. "That's my name," he said. "But I'm no legend."

"Oh, don't be so modest, Hitoshi!" Deku said.

"But you, young lady," Shinso continued, as though Deku hadn't spoken, "you have a lot of potential for someone not in the Hero Course."

"He's getting his license so he can take on Interns," Deku volunteered. "Which is something he'd said he'd never do. Because then he'd have to deal with… _extroverts_. I'd have asked you anyway, Kocho, but Shinso really wanted me to."

"Just give it all away, why don't you, Deku?" Shinso asked, but he sounded more amused than annoyed.

"You're, um, you're nothing like your son, Sir," Isamu said, then instantly slapped both hands over his mouth. He hadn't meant to say that out loud. But it was true. Shinso the younger was so talkative and energetic, and the Voice was so… not. He was afraid he was going to fall asleep just standing there watching them.

"Heh." The smallest possible smile he'd ever seen anyone make moved across Shinso's lips. "He certainly takes after his mother in that regard."

Isamu decided not to dwell on how a guy like the Voice had managed to marry a woman like Glamour. Some things were best not thought about. Though he supposed you could say the same thing about his own parents, with his easy going, goofy dad, and high strung mother.

The purple-haired Hero's eyes narrowed, highlighting the bags under them. "Still… Izuku was able to remind me that I do have a lot of wisdom and experience to offer. If somewhat unofficially."

"Okay, so, before we move on to the next exercise," Deku said, and Isamu could swear he saw a maniac energy in the man's eyes, "_I have so many questions about your Quirks_!"

Shinso! _The_ Shiso! The Voice! Only one of the most famous General Education students turned Hero ever! There wasn't a student in the General Education course who didn't look up to him. It had been more than a decade before him that any General Education students had made it to the Hero Course. He'd ushered in a new era of giving General Education students a chance. To think, Koharu wasn't just following in his footsteps, but getting first-hand experience with him!

After giving her and Haimawari time to shower, Deku had taken the gawky boy off with him, leaving her with Shinso. Technically, all they were supposed to be doing was getting breakfast in the cafeteria. But this wasn't even reading between the lines. This was an advisory session, if ever there was one. The Number One Hero was certainly playing more fast and loose with the rules than she would have thought!

She'd been surprised by the number of food choices available in the cafeteria, especially the liquid options! She'd been a little worried about that and in fact had a few options packed away in her luggage. The two of them occupied one table, while various Sidekicks and other employees occupied others and left them in peace.

Shinso, as it turned out, also enjoyed pouched food. "So," he said, "I don't suppose I can interest you in being an Underground Hero?"

Koharu blinked her large eyes at that, slowly withdrawing her proboscis from the syrupy fruit pouch she was drinking. "I think I'm a little too distinctive for that," she said.

His shoulder went up in the slightest of shrugs. "Worth a shot," he said. "But you're right. The public will love you. You're distinctive. That makes you memorable. Camie says you're "trending" and "a hashtag." Whatever that means."

Koharu decided educating a Pro-Hero on the intricacies of internet terminology was not something she was interested in doing. Though being a hashtag was new. "I've tried not looking too much at what the internet is saying about me," she said. "But I haven't been all that successful. A lot of people seem real excited about me. The school, the public, even Deku. Feels like a lot of people are making a big deal out of me. Not sure if I feel like I deserve it."

There was certainly a subset of the internet that seemed to feel the same, coming up with all kinds of preposterous claims and accusations, saying she was just taking attention away from up and coming Heroes. And then there were the more vicious comments, from those who still held a lot of prejudice towards Mutant-Type Quirks. The former were annoying and chiseled away at her self-confidence. But the latter? Those hurt.

"You don't," Shinso said, and Koharu felt her mouth open in shock.

"What?"

"Not because of the Sports Festival win, anyway," Shinso amended hastily, as though sensing he'd been a bit too blunt. "People make more out of the Sports Festival than it really is. It's a chance to show off, but it's not the be-all or end-all of Hero-training. And it's still horrifically biased, if not quite so bad as the Entrance Exam still is. Though making a good impression is still important."

He fixed her with an intense stare. "The fact that you impressed Nezu and others in the faculty is what's significant. You're being fast-tracked, so they must think you have it where it counts. I had to train for months to just have the chance to try out for the Hero Course _and_ I didn't get to join until the second year. If they're putting that out there, it means you have a real shot at doing something great. Of course, I was young and stupid. You're young, but I don't think you're stupid."

"…Thanks?" she tried.

"Besides," he added, "you've got me in your corner. I know how Aizawa thinks, and I know exactly what you're going to need to get up to Hero Course standard. And I'll share it with you, on one condition."

"What's that?"

"When you're a famous Pro-hero, you pass the torch, same as I'm doing now."

Isamu was honestly surprised by how approachable Deku was, even if he shouldn't have been. Between what he'd seen in interviews and how Midoriya had talked about him, it was obvious the Number One Hero was able to switch from "Hero Mode" when dealing with villains or disasters to some kind of "Civilian Mode" when doing practically anything else. As they'd gotten their food and taken a seat in the cafeteria (And Deku was just… eating in the cafeteria. Like he was some Sidekick or paper pusher, not the guy who literally owned the place!), it became rapidly clear that he knew the name of each and every person who worked for him, calling them by name and asking questions about their family or hobbies or other details that Isamu wouldn't have thought he'd have time or inclination to know.

Isamu took a bite of his breakfast sandwich (What could he say? Convenience store style foods agreed with him.), then a long swig of coffee. Probably more sugar in it than he should have, but he wanted to make sure he was fully awake and alert for the day.

"So," Deku said, in-between bites of his own breakfast, "can I ask you something, Haimawari? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Well, that was a loaded statement if ever he heard one. Isamu felt his heartrate kick up a notch. What could Deku possibly want to know? "Ah, sure?" he said, wishing he felt more sure of himself, or that it sounded less like a question.

"Maybe I'm overthinking this," Deku said, "because that's kind of my thing, but after the Sports Festival, I couldn't help but think that you reminded me of something I'd read about when I was a kid, and then I went digging into some old files and newspaper archives and everything and…"

Isamu knew, instantly, what Deku was planning on asking. He wanted to run or use his Quirk to slide away, but he felt riveted to his seat, despite Deku's rambling, unassuming nature.

"Are you connected to the Crawler, who used to be in Naruhata?"

Yep, there it was.

"Mister Deku, sir, I…" he began, tripping over his words.

"You can just call me Deku."

Isamu swallowed hard, looking down. Mobility-enhancing Quirks were quite common, even Quirks which allowed mobility over various surfaces. The specifics, like his needing three points of contact, varied, but Quirks could easily be traced through family lines. He was an only child of an only child, not exactly hard to figure out where it might have come from if anyone did any digging.

"The Crawler?" he asked instead, hoping to buy a few precious seconds to think.

"A Vigilante who used to operate in Naruhata, starting about twenty-eight years ago. Mostly small scale stuff, just helping people on the street, though he and a couple other Vigilantes did get involved with some pretty big stuff on occasion too. But mostly he was kind of a local figure. A "Nice Guy" who helped watch out for people and kept the neighborhood safe. Not many people even know about him, since the press didn't like to give a lot of attention to that kind of thing, though a few U.A. teachers worked with them and even Captain Celebrity talked about them in his autobiography…"

U.A. teachers. Right. Like Mister Aizawa and Vice-Principal Midnight. Both of whom had to know about his parents. Dad had mentioned them often enough, when recounting stories of his glory days. Which was something he'd tried very hard not to think about since the start of school.

"And who disappeared about eighteen years ago. Just a couple years before you were born, as a matter of fact." Deku finished. "Took a while to find the archival footage, but what little bit there is of him in action pretty much lines up exactly with you at the Sports Festival."

He shouldn't have been surprised, he reflected for the second time. Deku was well known for his knowledge of Heroes and his analysis of Quirks. And you couldn't get to being the Number One Hero without being incredibly clever and intelligent on top of that. It's a wonder he'd thought it wouldn't come up.

"That's, that's my dad," he said, quietly. He looked up, pleadingly. "Please don't tell anyone." There wasn't a statute of limitations on Vigilantism charges. If he got his dad in trouble by going to U.A…!

"Relax," Deku said, holding up both hands in a placating gesture. "I just wanted to know if my theory was right, and I wanted you to know that I know. No judgements. Everything I've pieced together says your dad helped a lot of people."

Isamu let out a puff of breath. "That's, that's good," he said. "Thank you."

"So," Deku continued, "tell me about why you want to be a Hero."

Now that, that was a question he was more prepared to answer. Especially with more cards on the table. "I want the chance to do what Dad couldn't," Isamu said. "He spent, still spends, his life helping people. Big ways and small. But he missed his chance to be a Hero. And I think part of him always regretted that. He told me helping people was the best thing a person could do, no matter if they were a Hero or not. But I just figured that if I did become one, I could help a lot of people. In a lot of big ways."

At that, Deku nodded. "It's a good reason," he said. "I've certainly heard worse."

"I, ah," Isamu began again, "I just want to really thank you, for this opportunity. I didn't think somebody like you would ever notice somebody like me."

For the briefest second, he could have sworn he saw some faraway look pass over Deku's face. Then he remembered that Deku was, somehow, a very late bloomer, who hadn't manifested his Quirk until he was a teenager. Who'd gone to school with Shoto and Ingenium and Creati, scions of various Hero legacies of their own. Maybe he did understand a bit.

Deku smiled. "Just looking for someone who looked like they could use a shot. You and Kocho both."

The Number One Hero's grin got bigger. "So… how'd you like to go on patrol?"


	47. Chapter 42:If I Hold It In, I'll Explode

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 42: If I Hold It In, I'll Explode**

"_Kirishima-Bakugo!" the voice had split the air of the U.A. hallway, a voice like nails on a chalk board that made Katsumi's teeth clench. All she'd wanted to do was go to lunch and now she had to deal with this_.

_Shiro Monoma. The bane of her existence. The wiry little blond shit of Class 1-B. That little annoying voice that tried to point out her every mistake and flaw. He'd lived across the street from her as long as she could remember and, of course, there'd been no escaping him by going to U.A. At least once she made it through today, she wouldn't have to see him at all for the whole week of her Internship._

_She'd turned around, fixing him with her best glare. Maybe she just had to slow him down long enough for him to say something stupid. Then Kana would just smack him upside the head and he'd be out for a while. Most of what he said tended to be insulted directed at her class so it wouldn't take long._

"_You want something, Monoma?" she'd growled._

_Usually, that was enough to make him wilt, at least a little. But this time, it hadn't. He'd only taken a half step back. "I was wondering if I might request the pleasure of your company for a brief discussion of important matters?" He'd made a dramatic flourish in the air with his hand, taking a small boy._

"_Well," she'd said, "that was clear as mud."_

_Monoma had put a hand to his chest. "We can't all be as plainspoken as you." After that, he'd looked genuinely regretful, surprising her. "…My apologies, that was ruder than I intended. Please. Ten minutes of your time. That's all I ask."_

_There'd been something strange about him. That'd been about as close to pleading as she'd ever seen Monoma._

_Katsumi had looked over to Izzy, who'd been standing next to her. "What do you think, Izz? Should I listen to him?" A second opinion never hurt and, honestly, she trusted Izzy's judgement better than her own, at least for certain things._

_Izzy had tilted her head slightly, considering it. "I think it would do you no harm to listen. Provided you do no harm to him in turn."_

_Katsumi hadn't been sure if that was a joke or not. "Tell you what, I'll try not to hit him." She hadn't specified how hard she'd try. She'd looked over to Monoma. "You've got five minutes."_

"Okay," Aunt Ochaco began, "what's the first thing you do in a rescue situation?"

Katsumi had definitely not been expecting to be called into action on the first day of her Internship. But when a giant Villain wrecks half of downtown Kijimi, it doesn't leave much time for paperwork and pleasantries. As the nearest Rescue Hero, Uravity and her Sidekicks had been called to the scene. Other Heroes were currently dealing with the Villain, which left them batting clean-up. Not exactly the kind of thing people got a lot of glory for, but an important and necessary job.

And oddly enough, one Katsumi didn't mind doing. Her Quirk was a destructive one and she was extremely skilled at fighting. Hell, she _enjoyed_ fighting. Maybe more than she should have. But it wasn't the be all and end all of her existence.

If she was being more reflective, she'd have guessed that all the protective instincts she'd concentrated around Izzy were trying to find a new outlet. But introspection had never been her strongest trait and so she pushed the thoughts down where she wouldn't have to deal with them.

"Find out who's in charge, get direction on where you're needed," she said.

"Right," Aunt Ochaco said, her face partially obscured by the pinkish glass of her helmet. "Which in this case, I've already done. We've got several damaged buildings that we're checking for survivors. Most of them were evacuated in time, but there's still people unaccounted for." She pointed to the nearest one, which had taken significant damage when the giant Villain had lashed out.

Already, her Sidekicks were assisting with the firemen and other rescue workers. As the premier Rescue Hero in Japan, Aunt Ochaco had a lot of them, all of them with Quirks useful for such work, including several water manipulators, telekinetics, and geokinetics.

"After that?"

Katsumi went on, "Make sure you have the right supplies, find a secure entry point, and look for survivors."

Aunt Ochaco gave her a thumb's up. "Sounds like Kota's done a good job teaching you," she said. She turned to look at the building and Katsumi could see words flashing over her visor. She knew Aunt Ochaco's helmet had special scanners in that that relayed information such a structural integrity to her. Maybe she ought to get one of those. It'd probably be useful for determining where to set off explosives.

Already, she was sporting some new Support equipment, designed almost immediately after the Sports Festival. New, bulkier gauntlets contained stores of small, BB-sized pellets, which through a complicated system, would pass over her palms to get infused with the explosion-causing liquid she could secrete, before being fired out. It would give her a long range option. They were still working on an enhancement for her boots that would let her use controlled explosions for some rocket-powered jumps. They just needed to figure out a way to make sure she didn't blow her feet off doing it. Neither of which would help here, but she already liked that she was making up for the weaknesses she'd had during the Sports Festival.

"Ready then?" Aunt Ochaco asked.

Katsumi nodded and took Aunt Ochaco's hand, feeling her stomach lurch slightly at the sudden weightlessness. Aunt Ochaco canceled her own gravity, then jumped, launching them both through a hole in the side of building.

It was time to get to work.

"_Will both of you stop following us?!" Monoma had bellowed, looking down the otherwise deserted hallway where Horse-Girl and the weird cartoon girl from his class had been peering around the corner. She'd known Horse-Girl and Monoma used to be a thing and she'd also known Horse-Girl was nothing but trouble. If she and the otaku were spying on them, it didn't bode well._

_She'd just counted herself lucky Spooky the invisible girl wasn't following them. She definitely didn't need the gossip girl trying to put non-existent puzzle pieces together._

"_Five minutes," Katsumi had reminded him. "I'm being generous and not taking travel time out of that. But the clock's starting now."_

_Monoma had frowned and she would have sworn that she had seen some of the arrogance leave his eyes. "This has been a long time coming," he'd said. "And, perhaps, in my need to hide it, I've let my pride lead the way. I won't claim that everything I've ever said was wrong, but I might have pushed a few more buttons than I should have."_

"_Fine, you're apologizing for being an ass," she'd said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'll take it. Can I go now?" Had he really been feeling regret after all this time? She hadn't realized that he was capable of it. She'd assumed he was working an angle._

"_I'm not done talking!" he'd snapped. And then he'd deflated again, holding up both hands. "I'm sorry. Please, stay. I'm just having trouble with my words here."_

_Katsumi had continued to glare and had made a "hurry up" gesture._

_He'd rubbed the back of his head and made a frustrated face. "Kana told me I should just be upfront with this. Which is honestly far better advice than Fukidashi or Mika offered me. I swear, they just want to get me killed for their own entertainment… Anyway, I know that you respect forthrightness. I'd hoped to be able to do this in a more spectacular fashion, after I won the Sports Festival, but alas…"_

"_Two minutes," she'd said. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, alarm bells had been ringing, telling her that this conversation was starting to take a very familiar turn._

_He'd held up his hands again and he'd seemed… diminished somehow. "No borrowed body language. No fancy moves. Just me. Weak and alone. In front of all your strength and furty. And the reason… the reason why I ride you so much, it's a cover up, you see. To disguise the fact that I've been in love with you."_

_And that had been when she'd slugged him._

They'd already managed to rescue three people, with various injuries. Nothing life threatening, thankfully. A broken arm, a broken leg, some nasty cuts, but all things that people would survive.

"H... Hano," the man they were rescuing said, weak and battered, having taken a blow to the head, "he's… he's still inside… went to look for… more people…"

Aunt Ochaco frowned. "Bombshell," she said, "I've got to get him to triage. Can you look for Hano? Turn on your locator beacon if you find him." She had the better chance of getting him to safety quickly.

Katsumi nodded. Technically, the rules of the Internship meant she wasn't to be left unsupervised when in the field, but it did allow for certain exceptions in action and under emergency situations. And this certainly qualified as one. Aunt Ochaco gave her a nod and mouthed "be safe" before taking off with the injured man.

Katsumi headed in the direction the man had pointed, turning the small flashlight she'd attached to her gauntlet on, playing the beam over whatever she could. This far into the office, it was harder to see and while there was less broken glass and rubble, there was still plenty of structural damage and falling debris. The air was thick with dust, making her consider she might need a filter to go with her costume. With the structural damage to the building, it was probably only a matter of time before the upper floors caved in. Provided, of course, that they didn't get proper reinforcement.

"Hano!" she shouted. "Anyone! Call out! I'm with the rescue team!"

A weak sound, a moan, answered her, coming from a corner of the sea of cubicles. Above, the ceiling had given way and it looked like something had fallen through. She ran toward it like her life depended on it, heedless of what might be in her way or whether or not the floor was safe for her to travel on. Foolish, perhaps, but she got lucky.

What she found, however, didn't have anything to do with luck at all.

Hano—or at least she assumed the man was Hano—was pinned under a metal I-beam that had fallen from the floor above. No… even pinned wasn't the right word here. _Crushed_. That was the word for it. The I-beam had come down on his midsection. There had to be broken ribs or worse. The basic first aid she'd learned when they were training at the USJ told her that much. And there was blood coming from his mouth, standing out in stark contrast to his pale blue skin. That he was still alive was not a mercy.

"Is… is someone… is someone there?" he gasped. "I can't… can't see so good…"

Katsumi activated the locator beacon built into her gauntlet, for all the good it would do, then switched on her communicator. "This is Bombshell," she said. "I've found a… survivor. I don't think he has much time. He's pinned and I can't move it."

The admission cost her something. She hated admitting weakness, hated the idea that there was something she couldn't do. She was far more fit than most girls her age, but she wasn't strong enough here, not by a longshot.

"_Understood, Bombshell,"_ came the voice of one of Uravity's senior Sidekicks, a woman named Lodestone, who had a magnetic Quirk. _"Uravity is heading back your way now."_

She knelt down next to the man. "I'm here," she said. "I'm here to help." She tried to project a confidence into her voice. She wanted him to feel that everything was going to be okay. "Uravity's on her way and she'll get you out of this."

In her mind, she was suddenly five years old again, in a hospital emergency room, seeing her Papa, seeming broken beyond all repair. She'd felt helpless then and she felt hopeless again now. She dove into a fight headless of what might happen… and yet here was another stark reminder of how fragile people really were.

An explosion would do no good here, her Quirk was useless. She couldn't punch him free, couldn't move the beam trapping him, even if she tried. Even if Aunt Ochaco got back here now, there wasn't anything anyone could do. Lifting the I-beam would simply remove whatever pressure was still keeping him alive.

"Had to see…" Hano said, "had to see if anyone… if anyone still… needed… to get… out… Then… the ceiling… came down…" He coughed, wetly. "Did… did… Fujiwara get… out?"

Katsumi prided herself on honesty, hated lying and untruths. But the lie passed her lips here easily. It was the least she could do. "They did."

Cold reality slapped her in the face again. "Guess I… shouldn't have… tried to be… a hero…"

"You," she said, the words sticking in her throat, "you tried to do the right thing. Can't blame anybody for that. That's… that's what a Hero does. Rushes in when everyone else is rushing out." Why wasn't she better with words? She was the last person who should be comforting anyone, especially in a time like this.

He coughed, wetly, more blood coming from his mouth. He raised a hand weakly, grasping for something. Katsumi reached out and grabbed it in hers. There wasn't much else she could do.

"Tell… tell my husband…"

He didn't get to finish that thought. The light left his eyes and he was gone.

Somewhere, someone was screaming. She suddenly realized it was her.

Uravity's Agency didn't just do rescue work; she was cross-trained in more conventional Hero work as well and insisted that her Sidekicks be capable of the same. Too, the work of a Rescue Hero was physically demanding, maybe even more so than conventional Heroics. A fight might last only a few minutes, but a rescue could take hours. Dad and Papa both respected the _hell_ out of Rescue Heroes. Even if Aunt Ochaco wasn't practically family, Katsumi would too.

As such, to keep up with the physical demands of the job, the Agency had a _fantastic_ gym.

But all she needed right now was a punching bag. Again and again, Katsumi struck out, wrapped fists pounding into it. She'd been doing it so long that it hurt. Good. The pain was a distraction. It gave her something else to focus her thoughts on. Because anything was better than dwelling on her failure.

Logically, she knew that Hano had been dead before she'd found him. Unless you were very tough or had some access to a healing Quirk, you didn't live through that kind of damage. Even if she'd found him sooner, or been capable of freeing him, the odds were good he'd have died all the same.

She'd insisted on carrying the body after Aunt Ochaco had arrived and moved the beam. She'd powered through the rest of the rescue work. Helped shift rubble, helped find more victims. Even used a very precise explosion to burn off the excess gas from a busted gas main. It had taken until they'd gotten back to the Agency for the reality of it all to hit her.

So she did what she always did when she had something she didn't want to deal with: she found something to hit.

"Katsumi," a voice from behind said. Aunt Ochaco. She'd shucked her helmet and the extraneous pieces of her uniform, the gauntlets and boots, leaving only the skintight pink and black bodysuit.

"Katsumi," she said again. "You need to rest. You were already on the go for hours before you go here."

"Can't rest," Katsumi said. "Punching."

"Hmm," Aunt Ochaco made a concerned noise. "This is… about what happened out there, isn't it?"

Katsumi knew it was futile to try and dodge the question. Aunt Ochaco had known her all her life. She was, in fact, one of the strongest female figures in her life. A perfect example of Womanliness. She could no more lie to her than she could fly.

Instead of pressing her on it though, Aunt Ochaco slipped on a couple of strike pads. "Try punching something else, then?"

Katsumi blinked in surprise. "Okay," she said, more than a little suspicious. But she dropped into a fighting stance, throwing a few experimental punches. Aunt Ochaco blocked them easily and she picked up the pace.

Aunt Ochaco had been taught by no less than Gunhead and knew the rhythm of a fight better than almost anyone. She kept up with Katsumi's barrage of blow easily, even though she had to be exhausted. "Your first loss in the field," she said. "I'm sorry I put you in that position."

"Not your fault," Katsumi said. And it wasn't. Aunt Ochaco hadn't had any way of knowing what would happen.

"But not what I'd hoped for the first day of your Internship."

"What _were_ you hoping for anyway? You gotta know I'm not exactly the "rescue" type."

Aunt Ochaco still managed to keep up with her flying fists, showing no sign of slowing down. "Figured I could teach you a few things about channeling some of that rage."

Katsumi shrugged. "That's fair."

"Did I ever tell you about the first time I lost someone in a rescue?" Aunt Ochaco asked, still somehow showing no signs of tiring.

"Sir Nighteye?" Katsumi asked. She knew this story. Or at least, what she suspected was the "child friendly" version the adults preferred to tell.

"Right," Aunt Ochaco said. "I did everything I could to get him out in time. But he was already dying by the time we got him in the ambulance. I think all I did was give him a chance to die in a hospital instead of a hideout. Aizawa always said I didn't do anything wrong… But I still think about in the long, dark moments of the night. He was the first. And not the last either."

Katsumi finally felt the strength leave her limbs and her arms hung numbly at her sides. "I'm guessing it doesn't get any eaiser?"

Aunt Ochaco shook her head. "Every time hurts. And Izuku's had people he couldn't save either, you know. Or your dads. Nobody in the business has a perfect record. Sooner or later, you're going to lose someone. I just wish I could have kept it from happening to you so soon."

Katsumi wiped at her face. Damn sweat, dripping down her eyes. "What… what do you do?"

Aunt Ochaco let the pads fall to the floor, then crossed the short distance between them and wrapped her arms around Katsumi. "You keep on fighting. And fight even harder the next time. Something I think you're going to be pretty great at."

Katsumi put her arms around Aunt Ochaco, leaning into her. "Doesn't help me not feel like a failure now."

"You were there for him in his last breaths," Aunt Ochaco said. "You still had your comm open. I heard what you said. Sometimes… that has to be enough."

_Her fist had made a satisfying _crack_ when it hit Monoma in the face, sending him rocketing back into the wall behind him._

"_You smug little copycatting bastard! You think that's funny? You think you can just make a fool of me like that?"_

_One hand had reached into his pocket, pulling out a handkerchief that he'd used to staunch the flow of blood from what was clearly a broken nose. The other had waved in the air in what had seemed like apologetic gestures._

"_I meand it." His voice had been muffled and distorted by the broken nose and handkerchief, but there was still a different tone to it, lacking the usual mocking tones he used when speaking to her or her classmates. "I wanded to proob mahself and show you I was stronk but I dibn't get the chaunce."_

_Her blood had run cold as she'd realized he was serious. Which had not been something she could deal with then. So she'd chosen to ignore it. "C'mon," she'd said. "Let's get you to Doc Clock and get that patched up."_

_Uncertainty had flashed in his eyes. "I don't wanna have this conversation until I can understand you."_

_One quick visit to the Doc later, during which, Monoma had surprised her by claiming to have walked into a wall (When did he ever pass up an opportunity to try and get her in trouble?), the two of them had been back out in the hallway in no time flat._

_Desperate not to have the conversation she'd known was coming, Katsumi had held him off with a request for lunch first._

_Which had somehow translated into the two of them sitting at the same table in the cafeteria. If you'd asked her for a list of the top one hundred things she didn't think would happen, that would have been right near the top._

"_Okay," she'd said, in-between bites of food, finally speaking after a very long, awkward silence where he'd squirmed uncomfortably. "No threats. No time limits. You're gonna get to talk here. But when I tell you to shut up, you shut up. Okay?"_

_He'd nodded at that. Smart man._

"_Then talk."_

"_Then," he'd begun, "let me say again that this is no trick or joke. No aces up my sleeve, no wheels spinning, no intent to mock you. But I've been in love with you for a long time."_

"_Since when?" she'd demanded._

"_At least since junior high. When you'd punched that girl for picking on Todoroki. You were powerful and protective and amazing. You were everything, everything I wasn't. Strong and assertive, with nothing but your own confidence and power to back you up."_

_That had been a day she remembered well. One of many where she'd had to come to Izzy's defense. When the nameless desire to protect fragile Izzy and keep her safe had driven so much of who she was, the desire she now was learning to temper, now that she knew Izzy did not love her in the same way, and did not need nearly as much protection._

"_Between me and the Horse-Girl, I'm starting to think you've got a thing for girls who can kick your ass, Monoma. You ain't gonna start falling for the Moth-Girl, are you?"_

"_Wha… No!" he'd snapped, startled, his delicate features were flushed with embarassment. "Mika and I weren't… it didn't have anything to do with… And Kocho didn't kick my ass… she bested me! There's a difference!"_

"_Uh-huh."_

"_But that was the start of it," he'd gone on. "So I started watching you. And I saw so much to admire and so much that I didn't have. And that's not even touching on the physical attract… "_

_She'd held up a hand. "Stop talking." To his credit, he'd shut up. She quickly did a little bit of mental math. "Wait. You dated the Horse-Girl when you were thirteen." It was a fact she'd really wished she didn't know, but it was still there. "Are you telling me I'm your fucking rebound crush?!"_

"_What?" he'd asked. "No! That was a mutual break up! She's still my friend! It's not related!"_

"_Okay," she'd said, accepting that for now. "So why now?"_

"_Too many people were figuring it out. Kana. Mika. Akaya. Fukidashi. As I said, I had this big plan to win the Sports Festival and impress you then, with a show of skill and strength. That… did not work out. So my back-up plan was simple honesty."_

_She'd actually felt a pang of sympathy for him. She knew too well what it was like to love someone who you didn't know how they felt about you. And she even knew how it felt to love someone who didn't love you back. It was pain she wouldn't wish on anyone, even him. And yet, here they'd been._

"_Okay," she'd said. "One, that took balls, which I honestly wasn't sure you had."_

_She'd ticked off additional points on her fingers. "Two, I'm sor… I apolo… I shouldn't have punched you. For once. But you gotta realize, Monoma… I don't like you."_

_His face had fallen and he'd looked down, hurt by the words, but also clearly having been expecting it._

"_The way you talk to me, the way you talk to my friends, the way you talk to the rest of my class, that ain't Manly. It ain't right."_

_She'd pointed a finger at him, accusingly. "And you obviously don't know me half as well as you think you do, if you thought theatric were the way to go, like I was gonna leap into your arms like some weak ass princess with the knight who killed the dragon. So whatever you thought you loved, I'm not sure I'm it."_

_He'd been honest with her. So she'd made the choice to be honest with him. "And I'm not in the right place to be thinking about that kind of anything right now anyway. But the way it stands, you're not what I'm looking for."_

_It'd been one of the longest conversations she'd had with someone who wasn't Izzy, Toshi, or Kana. And definitely the longest conversation she'd ever had with him, nearly threat free too._

"_I see," he'd said, standing, and taking his tray with him. "Thank you then, for your time. But please know… I never thought you a prize to be won. I merely wanted to be good enough."_

_And then he'd left her alone. _

_She'd felt… not exactly bad about it, but perhaps a bit regretful. It had hardly been the first time she'd hurt him, but that had always been an act of controlled, physical violence. This had been different and she hadn't been able to punch her way out of it._

_Memories of her conversation with Izzy, where she'd been on the other side of a similar confession and denial, had come racing back to her mind. Pain she'd thought she'd finally pushed past came bubbling back up._

_At least that would be the end of it. She didn't like Monoma, but everybody deserved somebody that made them happy. She'd found herself actually wishing that he'd find that happiness. _

_Just not with her._

_**KABOOM!**_

The force of the explosion sent the Villain flying. His rock-like hide made sure he could take the hit without too much damage, but the impact still made him bounce, once, twice, three times. Katsumi made a mental note to thank the designers of her new gauntlets. Being able to attack at range was a whole game changer. Not quite as satisfying as a punch, but what was?

"And release!"

Three more Villains fell to the ground, hitting hard. Of course, Aunt Ochaco had taken down more than she had. She was the more experienced Hero here. And despite the Rescue Hero branding, one of the biggest ass kickers on the planet.

What had these four idiots even been doing? A bank robbery? Trying to take advantage of the destruction in the city? In this day and age? Katsumi had to smile. Idiots they may have been, but they'd given her something to punch and blast. And for that, she was thankful. Villains were a problem she could solve.

She needed that, after yesterday.

There were still plenty of people on the streets, probably too close to the action, even after having been told to back off.

Katsumi always strove to be the best that she could be. She wouldn't have considered herself a glory hound, but in that moment, the applause from the crowd felt pretty damn good indeed.

She still saw Hano when she closed her eyes. Still saw the light leave his eyes as he died. She'd called home last night, cried her eyes out. Her, the big bad Bombshell, crying like a little girl. She couldn't remember the last time she had cried like that.

No one would have blamed her if she'd backed off after that. It may have been something Heroes dealt with often, but she was still a student, barely into her Internship.

But she was Katsumi Kirishima-Bakugo.

And she didn't back down.


	48. Chapter 43:An Internship of Fire and Ice

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 43: An Internship of Fire and Ice**

While she hadn't received as many offers as, say, Toshi or Isamu, Izumi had had enough that she could have had her pick of Heroes to intern under. Her grandfather's former sidekick Burnin' had been the highest ranked of them and the ice-wielding Thriller-Chiller had not been far behind her. They or others she had received offers from would all have been fine mentors. But while all of them would have had something to offer in terms of wielding fire or ice, none of them would have been precisely what she needed.

Unlike many Emitter Quirks, which loosely obeyed the laws of physics in terms of at least requiring personal energy to function, Izumi's Quirk functioned very differently. She did not "make ice", but instead absorbed heat, which she could turn into fire, had to turn into fire eventually. Her training from her father and at U.A. had helped her strike the balance she needed in these abilities for the most part. And she had her regulator rig, which helped as well, but she still needed further practice in making certain she did not exhaust herself or ruin her body in using her Quirk.

She needed someone who understood that. Someone whose Quirk came with drawbacks of its own, that had to be circumvented and navigated around.

That had brought her to the GrapeBolt Agency, the agency co-owned by her Uncle Denki and Minoru Mineta. Neither of them were ranked above One Hundred in the Hero Charts, with Uncle Denki being Number One Hundred Twenty and Grape Juice being ranked One Hundred Fifty. Given the number of Heroes currently active, those were still highly respectable numbers, but not exactly star makers. Grape Juice was notable, however, for being the fifth most popular Hero with children under eight, after Uncle Izuku, Lemillion, Aunt Tsu, and his wife, Rodeo.

"So anyway," Uncle Denki said, waving a hand expansively, "this is the break room. Got a fridge, microwave, everything. Even a toaster oven. But we usually get take out for lunch, if we're not out on patrol."

The Agency was a small one, all things considered, but still modestly successful. Outside of Uncle Denki and Mister Mineta, it only employed a pair of sidekicks and a couple of secretaries. Mister Mineta himself handled the books, as Uncle Denki was very bad with managing money.

"You've really got to stop ending the tour here, Denki," Mister Mineta said. "Why even have a tour? Not like we have that many rooms."

Uncle Denki just laughed and grinned. "Not every day my favorite "niece" comes out for her first Internship! Gotta go all out for it!"

Izumi bowed her head slightly. "I am thankful for the opportunity, Uncle Denki."

He gave her another grin. "You're gonna be a star, kid, trust me on that one. We just gotta get you set up for success."

There was a small TV suspended from the ceiling in the breakroom, and it was turned to a local station, where a news bulletin broke in.

"_We interrupt this episode of "Mount Lady In the Morning" for a special news report. We're receiving reports from Yaveen City where the Villain Terri-Bull is engaged in a standoff with local police, following a bank robbery. Fortunately, the Number Seven Hero Rodeo is on the scene to engage."_

Next to Uncle Denki, Mister Minta's face lit up with a proud smile. "Go get him, babe," he said quietly.

"Okay, I've got an idea about what I want you to try," Uncle Denki said. His Agency was small enough that it did not have its own training room, but fortunately, many municipalities offered government-run facilities smaller agencies could use. He'd taken her to one such place while Mister Mineta took the sidekicks out on patrol.

The room was wide and long, but otherwise empty. He'd requested that all targets and obstacles be turned off for the time being.

"So," Uncle Denki went on, "my problem is that I can't put out too much energy and I can't take in too much energy without wrecking my brain. Chihiro's got the same problem. I taught her what I could, and she's a lot better than me at it, but her limit's a lot lower too."

Izumi nodded. Her friend rarely damaged herself in quite the same way Uncle Denki did and when she did, the results rarely lasted as long. But it was still a risk she took when she employed her Quirk. Chihiro was interning with Izumi's mother, who was working with her on ways to use her Quirk that did let her put her electrical energy to other uses.

"But you're a little different," Uncle Denki went on. "Basically, you're moving energy from one spot to another. You pull heat out, you take heat in, then you push that heat back out."

She nodded again. This was nothing she did not already know, but it was good to go over the facts. Uncle Denki was obviously having what Aunt Kyoka called a "good day," because he was making a lot of sense.

"And you've got the regulator rig Yaomomo and Mei designed for you, that stores some of that heat so you don't have to worry about holding onto it. But I think we need to take a better look at what you do with that heat."

He waved hand in front of her. "Okay, so you're gonna make some ice for me. Maybe a cube or something? Unless you're into ice sculpting. By all means. You do you."

Another nod and she pointed a hand towards the ground, drawing the heat into her body, leaving behind a perfect thirty centimeter by thirty centimeter cube of ice, solid all the way through. She could feel a warmth spreading through her, the heat she'd absorbed the make the ice. It didn't hurt, not yet, but she could feel it underneath her skin, growing warmer the longer she held onto it. Without her regulator rig to pull it out, she would need to dispel it on her own before it forced its own way out.

"Okay," Uncle Denki said. "So you're holding onto a lot of energy right now. Just like me when I absorb a big jolt. But instead of letting it all out at once, or even letting a little out from a fixed point, I want you to concentrate. Focus on all that heat."

She closed her eyes, mentally picturing the heat inside her, a warm, orange-red glow suffusing her entire form. It flickered and pulsed with her heartbeat, growing steadily stronger and brighter.

"Now," he continued, "I want you to slowly… slowly… _slowly_… release all that heat, all through your body. Picture it just slowly flowing out of you."

Her eyes still closed, Izumu focused further on the heat, picturing it passing through her body to the outside. In her mind, the colors representing the heat flowed, layer by layer, until they were outside her body. And she could feel it leaving her, but there was no flicker of flame, just a feeling of warmth, like standing in the bright sun.

And then, just as suddenly as it had started, the rush of heat was gone. Izumi's eyes snapped open.

Uncle Denki gave her a thumbs up and a big grin, though he looked a bit flushed. His hair no longer stood up at odd angles and was damp and plastered to his head. "Not bad, kid," said. He checked the thermostat he held in his hand. "Though you raised the temperature in here by a good five and a half degrees putting that all out."

Izumi realized she was sweating significantly, which was not something she normally did. She also felt a tiredness deep down to her core, her breathing coming in long, slow gulps of air. It was only with a concentrated effort that she remained on her feet. "I am sorry," she said, feeling her knees starting to give out.

Fortunately, Uncle Denki's reactions were quick and he moved to her side to let her lean on him. "Hey, no apologizing. If I had a yen for every time my Quirk backfired, I'd have… a lot of yen. Maybe not as much as Kyoka's last album sales, but still a lot."

She shook her head, clarity slowly returning to her thoughts as the moment of weakness passed. "I may have been successful… but I doubt I could do that in the field. It took far too much out of me."

"Hey," Uncle Denki said, suddenly as serious as she had ever heard him sound. "You listen to me. You're not going to get everything right the first time. You did something different today… And you keep trying it, you're gonna get better. I just know it."

It was a nice thought, at least, though Uncle Denki had always been incredibly optimistic. But in this case he was also _right_. She'd done something different with her Quirk, managed its needs without unleashing terrible flames. There were many times where even a little fire was inconvenient. If she could learn to diffuse her heat like that when she needed to, then she could increase her utility many times over.

It was one more step towards being a Hero.

Foot patrol was an interesting experience. Bother of her parents did it, albeit on what she understood to be a very irregular basis. Nearly all Heroes patrolled to some extent or another. For some, that might be flying over the area around their Agency. Others, like Cellophane, might swing from building to building. Others would walk the streets and interact with the citizenry. Uncle Izku, she knew, made an effort to interact with people on the street whenever possible, despite the demands of his position as the Number One Hero. A few Heroes, however, patrolled rarely and only responded to large emergencies or Villain events when called into action.

Her father, she knew, like herself, had great difficulty interacting with people. The internet was full of "Shoto Interview Follies" (Though that was a significantly smaller number than the "Chargebolt Screw-ups", which she considered to be a bit mean spirited.). His Agency had, at Mother's insistence, a large and highly-dedicated PR department. Though she personally saw little wrong with the answers he gave.

Uncle Denki, though, was firmly in the category of interacting with the people. And he was good at it, speaking easily with everyone he met. She envied that. She had her friends—Katsumi, Shinji, Toshi and the rest—but words did not always come easily to her, and her skills in reading people were practically nonexistent.

"Stop him! He's got my purse!"

Izumi followed the sound of the voice and saw a young man, probably only two or three years older than her, racing down the street, a woman's purse in his hands. He seemed to be… riding on a trash can lid? The lid was glowing faintly, letting him float a few inches off the ground, yet propelling him with at least as much speed as a skateboard (Chihiro had been obsessed with them for a few months, before a regrettable leg break.). Some kind of magnetism, perhaps? Or low-level telekinesis?

Regardless, he was a criminal and in need of stopping. And since he was using his Quirk in pursuit of his criminal endeavors, he was already taking a step towards becoming a Villain. That his Quirk was not directly harmful would likely lessen the charges, but it would not go well for him regardless.

"May I?" she asked.

Uncle Denki shrugged, though she could see faint sparks dancing around his skin, likely just in case she proved incapable. "Knock yourself out, kid."

Izumi nodded and pointed, raising her hand up as she conjured ice. In an instant, a wall of ice sprung up directly in his path, too late for him to turn. He slammed into it, hard, bounced off, and well to the ground.

"…Or knock him out, that works too," Uncle Denki said.

Izumi checked the regulator band around her right wrist, the lights still blinking a soft green. Nothing to worry about for now. But she could still feel that heat, and she concentrated, pushing it out, this time picturing it more like a cloud of steam from a kettle. She directed it, and it was enough to cause the ice she'd called to melt.

It hadn't felt nearly as draining this time either.

"Getting better," Uncle Denki said, giving her a thumbs up.

Maye she was at that.

Uncle Denki had insisted that Izumi come home with him, rather than bunking at the Agency. He had explained that if he did not, Aunt Kyoka would kill him, at which point, being left to raise their three children alone, she would have to bring him back to life, just so she could kill him again. Izumi was reasonably sure he was exaggerating, but Aunt Kyoka's temper was quite legendary.

Regardless, she enjoyed their home, which was next to Katsumi and Toshi's, and also Chihiro's younger siblings: younger brother Reo and younger sister Hikari. Chihiro was a dear friend, but it was clear that Reo most took after their mother in the intelligence and common sense department. Though Hikari had somehow nearly convinced Uncle Denki that eating dessert first was now the classy thing to do, before Aunt Kyoka intervened with an admonishment not to take advantage of his idiocy." Uncle Denki had only put up a token protest that he was not an idiot.

Lying in the guest bed, she noticed a text from Katsumi on her phone.

**Katsumi: You up?**

For a little while longer.

**Katsumi: Today was rough, Izz.**

Please, tell me about it.

**Katsumi: I was out on a rescue with Aunt Ochaco. Saw a guy die. Right in front of me. Couldn't do a damn thing. He was already dying by the time I got there.**

I am sorry. I cannot imagine what that must have been like. Are you all right?

**Katsumi: Yes.**

**Katsumi: No.**

**Katsumi: Yes.**

**Katsumi: I don't know**.

Do you wish to talk about it?

**Katsumi: Iz, when have I ever wanted to talk about my feelings?**

**Katsumi: Don't answer that.**

**Katsumi: I mean, I know there's nothing I could have done. But I still feel like shit for it.**

I am sure that you did all that you could. I would never expect anything less of you.

And I am sure you will try all the harder to save whoever you can.

You are strong, capable, and determined. But you must also sometimes be prepared for the worst.

**Katsumi: Damn right I will.**

**Katsumi: Thanks, Izzy. Guess I just needed to talk. Talked to Dad and Papa, and Aunt Ochaco said some of the same stuff.**

**Katsumi: You always were the only one who could talk sense into me. Even Toshi can't do that.**

I wish I could offer more comfort. But I am here if you need me.

**Katsumi: Thanks, Izzy. Your Internship going okay?**

I stopped a purse snatcher today.

**Katsumi: Good job!**

She may not have been the best with words, but it seemed like she was good with words when it counted.

Perhaps that was enough.

"Dammit, Denki!" Mister Mineta yelled, looking up from his desk in the smallish office the two Heroes shared. "I told you, you can't business expense anything you impulse buy when you shock your brains out! It's not deductible, even if you shock yourself in the line of duty!"

Uncle Denki looked up from his own paperwork. "Are you sure? Because that's pretty much the only time I do it these days,"

"You forgot to carry the one," Izumi said, looking over his shoulder. Paperwork was not exciting, but it was a necessary part of the Hero work, so her internship included some exposure to that as well.

"Did I?" Uncle Denki wailed, slapping a hand against the side of his head. "Dammit…"

"And I see several other mistakes on previous lines. And that word is not written like that."

He let out a frustrated groan. "…You want a job as my personal paperwork checker, Izumi?"

"You couldn't pay her enough," Mister Mineta said, without looking up.

Her eyes fell on another piece of paperwork on Uncle Denki's desk, one which carried with it the logo from her Uncle Izuku's agency. Given the mountain of unsorted or poorly organized paperwork that covered nearly every square inch of the desk, it was a surprise she could find anything at all. Perhaps she only found this one because it was next to the only island of cleanliness of the desk, a picture of Aunt Denki, Aunt Kyoka, and their children. _Plague Case File – Important_, the paper read.

The name struck a familiar cord with her, back through years and years of memories. Something her parents had said once, long ago, when they thought she couldn't hear. It was buried, without context, but she recognized it instantly. But what was it? And why was it important now? It was just a word.

"What is that?" she asked, pointing to the document.

"What's what?" Uncle Denki asked, his eyes tracking her fingers. "Oh. _Oh_! That! That's… that's… Nothing! Nothing! Definitely not an update about the search for a missing Villain who nearly killed you when you were a kid!"

"_Really?_" Mister Mineta shouted, standing up from his desk, which due to his height, was shorter than average. "She's been here two days and you go and blow it!"

He came around and pointed a yellow-gloved finger at Uncle Denki. "What was the one thing, the one thing we were specifically asked not to do?"

A guilty look washed over Uncle Denki's face. "Tell Izumi about Plague."

Mister Mineta pounded a fist into the palm of his other hand. "And what did you do?"

"Told her about Plague."

"Yaoyorozu is going to _kill_ us."

Uncle Denki and Mister Mineta had asked her to step outside while they had a discussion. Considering that the yelling had started as soon as she'd closed the door to their office behind her, she suspected it would be a very loud one. So she'd sat down in one of the plush chairs in the small waiting room outside the office, where their beleaguered looking secretary just shook her head.

"Don't worry about it," the dog-headed woman who'd been introduced to her as Ms. Wan said. "There's hardly a day that goes by where those two don't fight about something. It usually doesn't last long."

"Thank you," Izumi replied, giving her a polite nod. Ms. Wan returned her attention to her computer.

The sounds coming from inside the office were muffled but still loud. Most of the yelling seemed to be Mister Mineta, with Uncle Denki offering apologies, though it sounded a bit like they had placed a phone call as well.

She pulled her own phone from her pocket and called up a search engine on the browser. Entering the word "Plague" brought her a significant number of results, none of which were helpful, since it was not an uncommon word.

There were a few links to news articles referring to the recent Quirk Virus outbreak in hyperbolic terms, but she quickly discounted those. Whatever the Virus was, there had been no outbreaks in a few weeks now. While she did not doubt that whoever was behind it was still out there, it did not seem to be the threat it once was.

Annoyed at herself for not having thought her search choice through, she instead searched on "Plague-Villain."

That, at least, brought her a great number of results, many of them news articles. She scanned the dates, all of them were at least a decade or more old. She would have been around four or five years old then.

It was, she realized, about the same time as she had first fallen ill.

Izumi's searching had turned up a number of different things. The first was the picture of a sickly man, glowing slightly green, the skin on his face stretched thin like a skull, with just wisps of white hair remaining. But there were also several important facts.

One, Plague was a Villain who had threatened nearly all of Japan over a decade ago with his Quirk to generate diseases, alongside another pair of Villains called Manticore and Bloodstorm. He'd personally been responsible for several different outbreaks, some of which had claimed multiple lives. Including one which compromised the immune system, caused muscular weakness, difficulty breathing, and problems with Quirks.

Two, he had claimed that he and many others had been imprisoned by the government for having "dangerous" Quirks, Quirks that were threats to everyday society and people. He'd further claimed that several Heroes had been involved in hunting them down at the behest of the Hero Commission, even when they had not been doing anything with their Quirks.

Three, following a conflict with Deku, he had voluntarily surrendered himself to custody, even going so far as to offer cures for those still infected by his plagues.

Four, and this was probably unrelated, her grandfather had retired at the same time, confessing to his crimes against his family, and choosing voluntary retirement in exchange for leniency.

Five, though Plague's claims were never substantiated, a number of people who had thought to be dead or missing reentered society within a few months of him turning himself in. It was also around this time that some of the more restrictive laws around Quirk use began to be relaxed.

All of it painted an incomplete picture. There was too much here she didn't know. But she could draw some conclusions already. Had she been one of Plague's victims? It would have explained why Uncle Denki had said he'd nearly killed her. The symptoms of some of the diseases matched much of her own lingering issues with stamina and prolonged physical activity, as well as properly regulating the outputs of Quirk. She took medications three times daily, and they now seemed the perfect counters to those lingering symptoms.

No, there was no doubt about it. She had been a victim.

A foggy memory returned to her, half distorted by fever and time. Her mother, watching over her in a hospital bed. Uncle Izuku, rushing in, a piece of paper in his hand. Mother, looking it over, stating that she could make it.

Izumi had little doubt that she would never have been as physically formidable as Katsumi. She had inherited a good deal of her constitution from her grandmother, Rei. It explained why her childhood disease had struck so strongly and why some of the weakness still lingered. But she had always blamed the illness itself on the whims of a fate, the same random chances that led to cancer or other terrible diseases.

It seemed now, however, that there was a face to this.

There was someone to blame. Someone who was now loose on the world again.

And she did not know how to feel about that.


	49. Chapter 44: Three Stories

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 44: Three Stories**

_Takiyo Aoyama Starts to Shine _

When he had accepted the offer from Cellophane—the Number Fifty-Two Hero—Takiyo Aoyama hadn't been certain of what to expect. He was not close to most of his classmates, though he was probably closer to Akaya Koda than anyone. And he maintained a—usually—cordial relationship with Kimiko Ojiro, due to a shared love of gossip. He had even started speaking more with Isamu Haimawari, after seeing how hard he was working to prove himself, something he could understand. But he could not claim to be close to Takuma Sero, despite sharing a floor with him in the dorms. So discussing it there was not much of an option. Especially as their last significant exchange had ended badly.

He had certainly spent time around the elder Sero; they'd all been around each other enough for that, but not in years. So he had little basis to form his expectations on, save for the rather copious amounts of interviews and candid moments available on the internet. These revealed only that he was personable, humble, and seemed to be rather behind the times in terms of slang. He was well-liked, at least.

That was… tolerable. Being able to cultivate a media presence was essential to being a Hero. Many Heroes never rose very high in the rankings simply because, while they were effective in stopping Villains, they were patently unlikable. There were exceptions, of course, but it was generally a truism.

He had failed to make much of himself at the Sports Festival, but perhaps he could begin to get the exposure he needed now.

Though he was beginning to wonder if exposure was worth… _this_.

To say Cellophane's Agency was casual was putting it mildly. All of the staff that worked there were in polos and khakis. The decorations were subdued, with a slight Asian-style to them. There were, however, also plenty of motivational posters, including several with kittens hanging from things being encouraged to hang on.

And as for Cellophane himself…

"Yeah, I like to keep things casual when I first come in in the morning," he said, leaning back in his desk chair. His shirt was fashionable enough, well-tailored to accommodate his rather unique arms. But as for the rest of him…Sandals! With socks! Cargo shorts! "Have a little coffee, catch up on e-mails and paperwork, then get set for a little bit of patrolling." He cracked his knuckles noisily.

The unfashionableness of this place was going to give him hives. How could his _papa_ not have warned him against this?

"You did good, kid," Cellophane said, "but you've really got to learn to unclench. I can see right now you're about ready to have some kind of attack. Got that twitchy eye and everything. Don't stress yourself so much. Really, you're reminding me of your dad, back before the whole cheese thing with Izuku. Why, I remember…"

The phone on his desk started ringing and he held up a finger. He picked up the phone, "Hey, hon, what's up?"

He went slightly flush as he listened to his wife. "Yeah, sure, I can pick that up on my way home. Yeah, that too. And… sure… I can… do that… when I get… Can we talk about this later? When I don't have a teenager in the room, listening? Yeah, I know we talk about it in front of our kids, but they're not a good barometer for that…"

Takiyo was rapidly wishing he'd gone anywhere else for this.

"Dump me, will she?" the Villain snarled. He was large, larger than even Shoji or Koda, larger than All Might, and seemingly built out of black rocks, blazing red lines showing between the cracks. "I'll show her! I'll show that namby-pamby new boyfriend of hers! I'll show everybody!"

He drew back his hand, like he was able to throw a ball, and when he launched it forward, he threw a hot blob of lava. It struck a car, crashing through it, and melting what it did not smash. People were screaming, people were running everywhere. If the target of his rage was actually in the crowd, Takiyo did not know. Cellophane's Sidekicks, whom Takiyo had not bothered to learn the names of (One had some kind of lubrication Quirk and the other did something with friction? He really wasn't paying attention.) were coordinating the evacuation of the area. So far, all the Villain had done was property damage. But the odds were increasing that someone, intentionally or not, would get hurt.

"…Well, he's big," Cellophane said. "Maybe I should have left you behind."

He pulled down the faceplate on his costume. "Actually, think you could come up with a distraction? You should be able to do that without getting close."

At that, Takiyo smiled and gave his cape a dramatic flourish. "Getting eyes on me? A piece of cake."

"Good," Cellophane said, firing off a line of tape and pulling himself up into the air with it. "Just give me five minutes!"

Takiyo stepped into the Villain's field of view. "_Bonjour, __Monsieur _Villian!" he said, letting loose a dazzling, strobing beam of light across his field of vision.

The lava-man's glowing eyes snapped in his direction, one hand up to shield them from further brilliance. "Some sparkly kid?" he growled. "That's who they sent to stop me? What're you, twelve?!"

"_Non_!" he shouted, raising both hands. He focused the stored light within him outward, raising his radiance until it was a blinding flash. "I am the one who is going to stop you!" He flashed again, sending out another pulse of light. "I am the Dazzling Hero: Radiance!" Another flash.

"Argh!" The lava man took a step back, glowing eyes dimming and brightening in what must have been his version of blinking. "Damn kid! You're like some overgrown glowstick! But I'll put out your lights!" He brought up both of his hands, gathering more lava there.

Fear gripped Takiyo's heart. He was going to die. It was as simple as that. Burned to a crisp, denied leaving even a beautiful corpse for the world to mourn over. He'd never be a Hero. He'd never get the chance to make amends for what he'd done…

"STICKY STORM!"

Suddenly, the air was filled with long strands of tape, wrapping around the Villain until he was completely cocooned. The lava he'd been forming fell to the ground it a heap, eating its way through the pavement, but at least it hadn't come at him. From above, Cellophane dropped down, then popped up the faceplate on his mask. "Good job, kid!" he declared, giving a toothy grin and a thumbs up. "You okay? That looked pretty scary. Didn't think he'd get that angry like that."

Takiyo had to wait until his heart started beating again before he could speak. "Fine," he said, trying to project a confidence he did not feel. "Only scary for a moment. One more blast of light and he would have been taken care of."

"Sure," Cellophane said, though Takiyo was certain his lie was not believed. Around them, people were starting to gather. Police, reporters, civilians. He put one arm around Takiyo and waved to the crowd with the other. "Hero of the Hour, ladies and gentlemen! My Intern!"

The headline was nice. They'd gotten his name right and given him credit with Cellophane for stopping the Villain.

And the accomplishment itself felt surprisingly good. The Villain had been a no name nobody, just a disgruntled ex-boyfriend not taking it well. But he'd meant to do a lot of real harm and could have caused a lot more damage. Stopping him had kept a lot of people safe.

However, the picture on the front page of the paper the next day was… strange. There was the wrapped lava Villain on the ground, there was Cellophane. And where he should have been… was a vaguely person shaped bright blob.

Takiyo stared at it, mouth agape.

"Not bad, huh?" Cellophane asked. "Not every day an Intern makes the paper on his first day.

"I did not realize I do not photograph well," Takiyo said. "I did as a child. My Quirk… it must be getting stronger. Absorbing more light. Even the camera flash."

This was going to put a serious cramp in his plans for fame.

"Eh, relax," Cellophane said, slurping his coffee. "You'll have plenty of photo-ops, I'm sure. And, if you don't, well, there's always radio."

Takiyo's mouth opened and shut, but no sounds came out. He really didn't know what to say to that.

_Daisuke Shoji Did Not Sign Up For This_

"You _**idiots**_!"

Daisuke carefully set the weights he was lifting (roughly 1080 kilograms with each set of arms) down, before looking towards the doorway of the Real-Riot Agency's gym. Red Riot, Real Steel, and Shiro Monoma (somehow Red Riot's Intern, the way he was Real Steel's) all paused in their workout to look as well.

"What," the small woman said, looking like she was ready to kill the first person who said something stupid, "have I told you about agreeing to things without asking me?" She was short, probably no taller than Kirishima-Bakugo, her hair cropped short as well. But her eyes contained a blazing intensity that he had rarely seen in anyone.

Red Riot looked a bit sheepish at the accusation. "Kids, meet Shizuka Yamamoto, our Office Manager."

"And the only reason you two haven't done a lot more stupid things!" Yamamoto said, putting one hand on her hip and pointing at Red Riot with the other. "Which one of you did this? I need to know who to smack."

"What're you talking about?" Real Steel asked, squinting with confusion. "We haven't agreed to anythi… oh! That!"

"Yes, that!" She reached into her pocket and unfolded a flier. "_Red Riot and Real Steel Home Exercise Videos: How to Get Hard!_"

"Oh, yeah!' Red Riot said, flashing a toothy grin. "Isn't it manly?"

"The video people thought it was a great name!" Real Steel added, giving an oddly similar shark-toothed grin.

Monoma shot Daisuke a glance. "This might get bad real fast," he said. "If that happens, just run."

He raised an eyebrow. The blond from 1-B had been unusually sullen since they'd both arrived at the Agency, lacking his usual arrogant sneer he had when dealing with members of Daisuke's class. Granted, Daisuke had very little to do with him even under the most ideal circumstances, but his limited experience suggested something was off here. Surprising, really, considering he'd made it to the Tournament Round of the Festival, something Daisuke couldn't say. And yet here they both were, interning with the Heroes who shared the Number Ten spot.

"Yamamoto is incredibly frightening when she's angry," Monoma elaborated. "I've spent enough time around the Tetsutetsus and Kirishima-Bakugos to know that." Daisuke remembered that his family lived next to both of the others.

Yamamoto took a deep breath and Daisuke assumed she was probably counting down from ten. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Do you two idiots remember the charity wrestling match you did? When you went off script? "The power of two hard men?" It's like you're trying to make yourself look like idiots! Do you know how much of a credibility problem it causes? Every time?"

"But we are two hard men," Red Riot said.

"The hardest!" Real Steel added.

Daisuke would later swear he hadn't seen Yamamoto move, but in the blink of his eye, both Red Riot and Real Steel were on the ground, rubbing their cheeks like they'd been slapped. Yamamoto's hair was slightly messed up, as though she'd been running the mind. Did she have a speed Quirk?

"Do you know how much work I'm going to have to do to fix this, you idiots?!"

He felt Monoma give his arm a tug. "We should run."

Daisuke looked at him, then at the growing argument. While a Hero should always be ready to intervene when needed, he also made it a personal goal to stay out of other people's drama. Considering he lived on a floor with Sero, Sato, and Aoyama, that was frequently a challenge.

"Agreed," he said.

"I know I'm going to regret this," Daisuke said, as he unwrapped the first of the take-out sandwiches he'd ordered (he needed a lot of calories), "but are you all right?"

Monoma barely looked up from the soup he was (barely) eating, as the two of them sat in the Agency's breakroom. "Mhm."

Earlier, they'd joined Red Riot and Real Steel on a mutual patrol. The patrol itself had been easy enough. No trouble today, and Red Riot and Real Steel had both been experts at navigating rooftops. With his Extendo-Arms, Daisuke could easily keep up. They didn't have a lot of advice for him yet, but tomorrow promised some combat training, and both certainly had the muscle to help hone his fighting style.

While Monoma had more than been able to keep up with them (an impressive feat, considering his Quirk offered him no enhanced physicality), he had seem distracted and was quite jumpy every time Red Riot spoke to him.

"Look," Daisuke said, "we're not friends. We barely know each other. But we are in this together. If you're distracted out there, it doesn't just put you at risk."

That, at least, got Monoma to look up. "I'm fine," he growled. "I'll get my head back in the game. Don't worry about it. Just having a bad day."

That was fair enough, Daisuke supposed. Monoma's personal problems weren't any of his business. Maybe that was all there was to it. He didn't have the context to form a proper opinion. So long as Monoma could be counted on to do his job…

Monoma returned to eating his soup, head down and avoiding Daisuke's gaze. "Like you'd understand anyway," he said, under his breath.

Most people wouldn't have been able to hear that. It was little more than a whisper and Monoma hadn't been looking at him when he'd said it. While his Quirk did nothing for his hearing, Daisuke had spent a lot of time with his dad learning how to listen. He did it without thinking now, always listening and paying attention to the sounds others might miss.

"Excuse me?" he said, narrowing his eyes. "Care to repeat that?" Daisuke considered himself pretty even tempered, but to just say something like that right in front of him was not something he could just let go.

Monoma's head snapped up and he fixed Daisuke with a glare. "…You really don't know, do you?"

He shook his head. "Know what?"

The blond boy's eyes widen. "You _really_ don't know."

Daisuke stood up. "Stop talking in circles. What don't I know?"

"That you've been voted the hottest guy in 1-A. Hell, you've been voted hottest guy in the entire damn first year Hero Course. Pretty much everyone who likes men is into you." Monoma pushed his chair back from the table and stood. "Are you _seriously_ telling me you didn't know about this?"

At this, Daisuke had to sit down, grabbing his water bottle with his upper-right Extendo-Arm and bringing it to his lips. He took a long drink before he answered, his other arms slumping. "Really? They say that about me? All of them?"

He knew, of course, that Mineta found him attractive. That was hardly a surprise. Her type was "has a pulse." He was even vaguely aware that Sero sometimes stared at him, though that seemed to have tapered off since he had started dating Iida. And Tokoyami's familiar Frog-Shadow was always far too happy to see him.

But all of them? He knew he was in good shape, but he hardly thought he was so good looking at to be more highly regarded than any of the other boys in his year.

"At least according to Fukidashi," Monoma said. "Who's an ardent follower of Ojiro's blog. If anyone would know, it would be the two of them. Ojiro's actually got quite the well-developed analytic and observational skills… she just chooses poorly how to apply them."

Daisuke just shook his head, closed his eyes, and let out a frustrated sigh. So he was being objectified. By pretty much everyone. Great. "Nice job pivoting the conversation away from you, by the way," he said.

Monoma let out a squeak. "Not my intention. I wanted to shut it all down."

He opened his eyes as a few details finished assembling themselves in his mind. "Would your distraction have anything to do with Kirishima-Bakugo? Is that why you're so jumpy around Red Riot?"

"I… don't have to answer that," Monoma said. His mouth slightly agape in surprise.

Daisuke shrugged, a movement copied by all his arms. "It's not my business," he said. "It's yours. But get your drama figured out."

When Monoma had left the room, Daisuke pulled out his phone. The lock screen showed himself, two of his three left arms around a girl with bright blue hair and dark glasses. Both in their U.A. uniforms, hers one for the Business Course. "Hottest boy in the Hero Course…? Emiko's going to kill me."

_Takuma Sero and the Elusive Hit Count_

"Hey there, viewers," Takuma whispered into his phone. The front facing camera view was a little bad, especially in the dark, but sometimes, sacrifices were made for fame. "I'm out on Internship with Number Twenty-Seven Hero, Tsukuyomi."

He adjusted the angle of his phone, to capture Tsukuyomi standing on the edge of the rooftop, peering out over the cityscape, his black cape fluttering in the night's breeze, before returning it to a close-up of his own face.

"And remember, Kimiko Ojiro and Kenta Sato will be uploading their own video diaries of their Internships later! Which you'll get notifications of if you're subscribed to our channel!"

He gave the camera his best grin. "I gotta say, though, I don't know about this, viewers. Best offer I got, but he is a broooooder. Not at all a fabulous ray of sunshine like me. But if we're lucky, you'll get to see yours truly in action, viewers! Maybe even a little Swing Cam!"

That was his name for when he affixed his phone to his chest, while swinging from spot to spot with his Acid Tape. Like first-person roller coaster footage. Very popular, especially with the adrenaline junkies.

"Oh, and if you're watching this, Tensei," he said, giving the camera another grin, a real one, not the stage one he used for his show, "miss you, babe. Hope your Internship's going good! Air kiss!" He punctuated that with some air kisses.

"Okay," he went on, "so, tonight…"

Suddenly, something dark snatched his phone right out of his hands! He turned to watch Dark Shadow flowing forth from Tsukuyomi, his phone in its hands. "Hey!" Takuma cried out. "That's mine!" He'd had just enough time to hit "post" before it had been torn from his fingers.

Tsukuyomi regarded him with a dark gaze, his beak pressed firmly together. "There will be no phone use while on patrol," he said.

"**Really" **Dark Shadow asked, giving Tsukuyomi a look. It was only after the Hero gave him a withering look that it shrugged, tossing the phone over the edge of the roof. **"No phones!"**

Takuma watched it fall, feeling like his heart was falling with it. True, everything on it was automatically backed up to wireless data storage. And true, he'd been meaning to upgrade anyway (the newest model had a _really_ great camera). But it was the principle of the thing!

The bird-headed Hero recalled Dark Shadow back into himself, his gaze never wavering from Takuma. "Undisciplined, easily distracted, showboating. All these and more are descriptions I could bestow upon you."

"Tell me how you really feel," Takuma said, rolling his eyes. Automatic reflex, he couldn't help it. He might be flunking English, but Sarcasm was a language he was much more fluent in.

"Child, there are so many more words I could use. Be thankful I chose to limit myself to those. Your mother may have failed to instill proper discipline in you, but I will more than make up for it this week."

"What are you talking about?" Takuma demanded, a hand to his chest in indignation. How could he say he was undisciplined? Didn't he know how much effort it took to put together a regular web program? With three different stars? All while studying boring regular school subjects and learning to be a Hero?

"You and yours are a den of chaos," Tsukuyomi said. "I shall tame it. And to do so, I have severed your material bonds."

"But what about my followers?!" Takuma demanded. If he had a week with no new content, he'd lose countless followers! His hit count would be in the toilet! He'd have almost no validation from people he'd never met!

And how was he supposed to talk to his boyfriend? …If he told this story to anyone, he'd probably better put that concern first.

"They will survive without you, I suspect," Tsukuyomi said. "Whether or not you do is another matter entirely."

"And Mom says you're not funny."

Tsukuyomi tilted his head to one side. "Funny?"

"That was a joke, right? …Tell me that was a joke!"

Takuma had officially met his new favorite person. His only regret was that he still hadn't been able to replace his phone, because this really, really needed to be recorded for posterity. This was literally the greatest blackmail material he'd ever been handed.

"Oh, yes," the woman said. She's introduced herself as Yuka, wearing a costume in various shades of black, though her Pro-Hero name was Shadow-Dancer. She was one of Tsukuyomi's Sidekicks, however, she was just a few months out from starting her own Agency. Her Quirk let her meld with darkness and then possess and animate inanimate objects in that darkness. Very effective when operating at night, and she carried smoke bombs to help with that in brighter lights. She was supposed to have been giving them an update on recent Villain activity in the prefecture. But this was so much better.

"I've known Mister Bird since I was a little girl. He actually helped me out when my Quirk first manifested."

A mischievous grin crossed her face. "I was a little afraid of him at first, but I got over it pretty quick. Of course, he was wearing monkey ears at the time. I think I even developed a little crush on him after that."

Takuma felt his jaw drop. He pushed it back up with his hand. "Oh. Oh. Oh! Tell me there are pictures of this somewhere."

She laughed. "Probably in a box in my mom's house somewhere."

Tsukuyomi gave her a scowl. "Must you tell this story to everyone you meet? I am trying to instill some sense of discipline in the boy and here you are, filling his head with nonsense."

Yuka put a hand to her mouth, laughing behind it. "So serious, Mister Bird."

"And I have asked you to stop calling me that," Tsukuyomi said. His feathers ruffled in what Takuma knew from watching Tokoyami was a sure sign of embarrassment. "For years now."

"Sure, Mister Bird."

"You do know I am your boss? Perhaps you should continue your actual presentation?"

"Oh, if you insist," she told him. But she gave Takuma a wink. "Don't worry. I've got lots more stories about Mister Bird."

"Hey there, viewers!" he said, adjusting the angle on the camera, "I'm back!" He was glad he'd been able to pick up a new model so quickly. Thank goodness for good insurance plans. Too bad it had taken until the third day of his Internship.

Mom was probably going to tear Tsukuyomi a new one when she found out he destroyed his old phone. Maybe if he was very, very lucky, he could actually get that on video. That would generate a _hell_ of a lot of hits.

It might upset Asuka Tokoyami though. Which would be bad. She was pretty much the Mom Friend of the entire class.

Maybe he wouldn't then.

Still, he did have to be quiet about this. He was _supposed_ to be catching some sleep, bunked down in Tsukuyomi's Agency. One other Sidekick was "on duty", sleeping away on the other side of the room, just in case there were any calls. Not that he was getting much sleep to begin with. Tsukuyomi preferred to operate at night, which left him trying to get his sleep during the day.

"And now with improved picture quality," he added, "you can see my fabulous pinkness in higher definition than ever before. But sorry, ladies, I just want to remind you I don't swing that way. And gentlemen… I'm off the market. Still all yours, Tensei!"

The thought of his pink-haired boyfriend made him smile. He was pretty sure they were getting serious and he was rarely serious about anything. Though they were losing the physical intimacy race to Sora and Midoriya. Those two got way more physical contact than they did. He was going to have to step up his game if they wanted to win!

…So maybe he got some competitiveness from Mom.

He flashed the camera another winning grin. "Seriously though, viewers, this Internship has been _intense_. Tsukuyomi knows what he's doing. I mean, he is dedicated. Takes down bad guys hard and fast. And I _am_ learning. Got a couple cool new tricks I can't wait to show off. Guy really does care about people, behind all the brooding and intensity and brooding intensity and intense brooding"

Not the least of his new tricks was a whole new way to use his Acid Tape. If he flicked his wrist just right, he could actually start wrapping the tape around his arms. And if he changed the acidity vs. stickiness factor… he either had an Acid Punch or a Sticky Punch. Both of which had a lot of usefulness. Not to mention a whole lot of video potential!

He didn't tell his views though about the softness he'd seen, the way he'd seen Tsukuyomi comforting children after stopping a runaway train car, or how the concern he showed for Dark Shadow went far above and beyond simple concern for a Quirk when the familiar was injured or at risk. The guy had a rep to protect, after all.

The corners of his mouth dipped down. "If I can get him to stop criticizing me, that is. Seriously, dude destroyed my last phone. Who does that? And he accused me of being more concerned with my social media presence than being a Hero! Can you believe that?

Anyway, that's my update! Don't forget to hit like and surprise, and leave some encouragement in the comments!"


	50. Chapter 45: What Does Toshi Want?

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 45: What Does Toshi Want?**

"POWERRRRRR!"

Toshi had only a split second to react, lowering his gravity down to almost nil with a thought and jumping up and over his attacker. He'd gotten good at judging exactly how much power to put into his jumps. And in this case, he really had to be. His opponent was tall, with incredible reach, and more than enough muscle even without super-strength to really ruin his day. He'd been dodging blow for several minutes now, unable to land any of his own in return. Between his opponent's speed and his Quirk, it was all but impossible.

When he reached the ceiling, he pushed off, hard, increasing his gravity and turning himself into a missile. But his foe had gotten turned around in time and he passed harmlessly through him, smacking into the wall on the other side.

Dazed, he bounced off, his feet touching the ground, and clutching his head. He was harder to hurt when he amped up his gravity, but it didn't mean he didn't feel the sheer bone-rattling impact. It took him a moment to remember what direction up was and that moment cost him.

A slight rush of air, some instinct, told him to dodge, and he jumped back, blindly, this time slamming into a muscular wall, sending the both of them down in a heap.

Toshi scrambled to his feet and offered Uncle Mirio a hand up. "So I win, right?"

"What?" Uncle Mirio asked, taking his hand and getting to his feet. "How do you figure that?"

"You said if I could tag you, it counted as a win."

"I meant _on purpose_, Toshi. That was a total accident and you know it." Uncle Mirio crossed his arms, trying to look stern. That lasted for about all of five seconds. "But what the heck. I am a man of my word, after all!"

Uncle Mirio let out a hearty laugh. "So now the score is infinity to one!"

It was hardly the first time Toshi had sparred with Uncle Mirio, but the first time in a professional setting. Toshi's Quirk required a lot of split-second timing in order to get the best use out of it, shifting up and down the gravity spectrum rapidly. Uncle Mirio's Permeation Quirk required similar timing and thus made him an excellent teacher. His parents had brought him in early, once he'd decided he was going to be a Hero.

It, along with his parents' teachings, had given him a considerable leg up by the time he'd been ready to enroll in U.A. But he still had a long way to go.

Uncle Mirio had been a constant figure in his life for as long as he could remember, even becoming his godfather. He was one of the few people the Midoriyas had no secrets from, one of the very few who knew about One for All.

Uncle Mirio dropped back into another fighting stance. "C'mon. Let's go again. This time I won't go as easy on you!"

That was taking it easy?!

Toshi was, by nature, a fitness nut. Usually the only person in the dorm who had him beat in that regard was Katsumi, and he honestly wasn't sure how much that of that was natural inclination and how much was her competitive streak coming out. Most mornings, he'd get up, stretch, and then go for a job around the campus, before heading back to breakfast. These days, Katsumi and Kana usually joined him. He'd tried to talk Haimawari and Shoto into it, but both had declined.

Fortunately, for him, Uncle Mirio was as big a fitness nut as he was. After their sparring match, they'd decided to take on a jog in the city. And it was early enough that they could go out in their civilian clothes and not be recognized by anyone, even if Uncle Mirio was fairly distinctive and well-known as the Number Two (and sometimes Number One) Hero.

Granted, Toshi was fairly distinctive himself, both as the son of the Number One Hero and having taken Third Place in the Sports Festival. He'd been lucky, really, growing up. His parents had done an amazing job keeping him and his younger sisters out of the limelight and away from the paparazzi.

"So, question for you, Toshi," Uncle Mirio said.

"Shoot," he replied, wondering what it might be. They were already on day three of his Internship and had done quite a bit with patrol and other training. Today, once they got back, they were supposed to be focusing on investigative techniques.

"What do you want?"

"Huh?" Toshi asked, confused. But he kept jogging. He always thought better when he was in motion anyway.

"I watched you at the Sports Festival," Uncle Mirio said. "Getting your whole class to pass the Obstacle Course was pretty awesome. Must have taken a lot of planning. And looks like you gave out a lot of good advice during Quirkball too."

"Sure," Toshi replied, not seeing where Uncle Mirio was going with this. "I wanted to make sure everybody got the chance to show off and impress people. Not everybody's got the same advantages I do."

"Because of your parents are," Uncle Mirio said, and Toshi nodded in response. "And I know you told your dad about Haimawari."

"He was the only one of us without a Hero or two in his corner," Toshi said quickly. He still didn't get what his uncle was getting at. Why was his helping people being called into question? "And besides, Izumi did that too with her dad. And so did the Twins' uncle for some reason." That one he didn't get. Of course, his dad had later said that he'd have been interesting in Haimawari anyway… but a little extra encouragement couldn't have hurt.

"Thing is," Uncle Mirio said, "pretty much everything you do, you're always doing it for someone else. Always have. You're always looking out for your class, your friends, everyone. It's pretty commendable… but what do you want? Or should I ask, what do you want for you?"

"Huh?" Toshi stopped dead where he was, not understanding the question at all. Uncle Mirio overtook him easily because of it, but he stopped and turned around.

Uncle Mirio looked around, then nodded. "C'mon. Let's get some breakfast." He inclined his head to the side, in the direction of a stand selling breakfast sandwiches and opening early. "Then we can talk."

Toshi sat down on the bench and took a bite of his sandwich and a drink from the juice he'd purchased, before Uncle Mirio spoke again.

"So, mentor hat off," Uncle Mirio said, miming taking a hat off. "And godfather hat on." He mimed putting a different hat on. "You're always taking care of somebody else. Just like your dad, really. Almost everybody who works in the Tower has a story about a time he's helped them out, even me. You seem to always know what everybody else needs, but what do you want? What do you need?"

That was… an interesting question, now that someone said it out loud. Toshi had even pondered it a bit during the Sports Festival. He'd been so focused on getting his friends and classmates as far as he could, that he'd gone into the Tournament Round with less of a clear idea of what he was going to do than he'd really have liked. Sure, he'd managed to think his way through all his matches, but he honestly hadn't prepared for that eventuality like he should have if he was thinking about his own success.

Toshi did not want for much. As the son of the Number One Hero and another highly successful Hero besides, to say nothing of being the grandson of All Might, he wanted for very little. They may not have been as rich as Izumi's family or the Iidas, but the Hero business had done very well for them indeed.

When All for One and the original League of Villains had been defeated finally and decisively, it had created a major sociological shift: Villains still existed, but it had leveled off. There was still and would still be a need for Heroes, but their parents' generation was the first generation of Heroes to have families and children on so broad a scale. The demands on any one individual Hero, even the Number One Hero, were not so great that they could not have lives of their own. His dad may have had to devote more time to Hero work sometimes than others, but he also had plenty of time for them.

That Toshi would be a Hero was never in question. He'd grown up with too many examples of heroism right in front of him, from his parents, to his grandfather, to an extended clan of honorary aunts and uncles, to one Great Granpa Torino. He'd been practicing his Quirk for years. He didn't expect anything to be handed to him, and he knew he'd have to work hard to get there, but he knew being a Hero was his path in life.

And yet…

What did he actually _want_? To be a Hero, sure. To be like his dad, live up to the example he set. To help as many people as he could. Were those too abstract?

"I… don't know," he said, finally. Admitting it felt like defeat.

"Oh," Uncle Mirio said, then he smiled. "That's all right! You've got time to figure it out."

Toshi's eyes widened. "What?" he asked, arms flailing. "You made it sound so serious! You made it sound like I had to have an answer right now!"

Uncle Mirio smiled apologetically. "Sorry," he said. "But I do want you to think about it. I don't think you realized you didn't know."

He went on. "It's okay to have different goals. I used to say what I wanted to do was to save a million people. Pretty sure I've done that by now. But that also changed when I lost my Quirk. I had to find a new goal. And then I wanted to show people that having a Quirk or not didn't matter. Not sure how much that worked, since it didn't last. These days, I want to make sure everyone feels safe. It's my specific goal. Making sure that when I'm around, people know there's nothing to fear.

"Your dad's the Symbol of Hope. He wants shows people that they can do anything if they believe they can, and that Hope will always win out against evil. Everybody's got their reasons and they've all got their goals.

"Sir, bless him, wanted to make a world with smiles and humor.

"Tamaki and Neijire—my kids, not my best friends—want to protect people. Tamaki really wants to be a symbol, like your dad, showing people they've got someone in their corner. David wants to make sure the people doing that are as safe as they can be.

"Wanting your friends to succeed is a great thing, Toshi. But if you're busy looking after everyone else, are you looking after you? Are you putting your own goals aside to take care of them? Just think about it, okay? You've got to know yourself in this business."

Toshi nodded, slowly. He had always tried to look out for his friends, ever since he was little, whether that was keeping Katsumi from killing somebody, reminding Shota that he needed to sleep, or putting a good word in his dad's ear on Haimawari's behalf. Asuka was pretty much recognized as the "Team Mom" of the 1-A kids, but Toshi was pretty sure that made him "Team Dad."

What _did_ he want?

"He's right, you know, Young Grans… Er, young man."

Toshi nearly jumped into orbit. He looked behind them and found Grandpa Might leaning against a street light. He was wearing a trench coat and a hat that hid his bangs, but he was unmistakable. Being a tall, incredibly fit, man in his early seventies (…truth be told, Grandpa Might's age was kind of weird, since Aunt Eri had rewound him by eleven years), made him rather distinctive.

"Mister Yagi, were you following us?" Uncle Mirio asked.

Grandpa Might yelped and shrunk back. "Why, I, ah, I don't know what you're talking about, Young Togata. I mean, young man! I was simply in the neighborhood and…"

Toshi buried his head in his hands. He'd thought he'd finally gotten Grandpa Might to stop following him…

Fortunately, the day got much less philosophical from that point on. They'd returned to Might Tower and quickly gotten to work, following a brief break to shower and change into their costumes. They met up in the Investigation Room of Uncle Mirio's floor.

While most of the investigative work was done by Uncle Hitoshi and Aunt Camie and the other Underground Heroes and Sidekicks, Uncle Mirio was also a deft hand at it from his days working with Sir Nighteye and his own course of study. Many people, Villain, Hero, or otherwise, had been taken in by his cheerful demeanor and ready smile, and been utterly surprised by the razor sharp mind behind it.

Carefully, Uncle Mirio planted a pin in the map of the city on the wall, joining several others already placed. "What do you think, Toshi?" he asked. "See any patterns?"

Toshi stared at the map, outlining several portions of Tokyo. There were about a dozen pins in it all together, spaced at various points around the city. "It depends," he said. "What are the pins for?"

Uncle Mirio shook his head, leaning back lazily against the wall. "Not saying. See if you can figure it out."

Okay, he thought to himself. One hand rubbed his chin, while the other tapped anxiously on his leg. Toshi considered himself to be pretty insightful, but he wasn't half the analyst his dad was. Or anywhere near as smart as his girlfriend (that reminded him, he should call her and see how her Internship was going). But he could give this his best shot.

So the pins were definitely scattered but, as he looked from each one to the next, he realized that the center point of the map was definitely Might Tower itself. Most of the pins were fairly close, with just a few outliers, and several of them came from different business districts or downtown, all in what should be heavily populated areas, only a few of them next to anything industrial or manufacturing, several of them were close together as though indicating buildings right next to each other, and one of them…

Toshi tilted his head. Was that where they'd just been earlier this morning?

"Waitaminute!" he said, giving Uncle Mirio an accusing glare. "This is just a bunch of food places!

Uncle Mirio laughed at that. "Okay, you got me," he said, apologetically. "I was just giving you a little test."

He looked over to one of the other maps on the wall. "This one though, if you can figure it out, that'd be great. Bunch of tech and chemical thefts, but no one's putting anything together."

Toshi studied it for a moment, finding one well outside city limits. "Isn't that pin the truck that got attacked last month?"

Uncle Mirio nodded. He seemed to hesitate just a second before answering. "That one's… a little bit top secret," he admitted. "Sorry, Toshi, but you're not cleared to know."

He shook his head. "Anyway, I've got some smaller cases we can review. Call it Investigation 101."

While Uncle Mirio was busy with investigative leads and talking to Uncle Hitoshi, Toshi found himself with a bit of a free time. There was plenty he could have done, more productive things, but instead, he found himself drawn to one of his favorite places in Might Tower: the Museum. Largely dedicated to Grandpa Might and his long and illustrious career, there was also a plenty of room dedicated to his dad, and many of the Heroes he had worked with and fought beside. Though Uncle Kacchan had never been entirely happy with his statue, claiming it looked nothing like him and that Dad had deliberately placed it in an out of the way corner. Considering how much space the section devoted to Ground Zero actually occupied and how much his dad admired Uncle Kacchan, Toshi knew that was all just bluster.

There was even a small section devoted to Gran Torino, which the man would have positively hated, having stayed away from the spotlight his entire life and career. There were two statues, one at the prime of his life, tall, muscular, and scowling. The other, closer to the time of his death, shrunken with age, but had no less of a scowl. It was how the world remembered him.

A far cry from the Great Granpa Torino that Toshi remembered, the kindly old man who had sometimes watched him and his sister Hana. He'd fed them taiyaki and told them stories that, in retrospect, probably hadn't been appropriate for children and still delighted in his ability to put Grandpa Might in a state of pants wetting terror. He'd been gone about four years now, having stayed active just long enough to briefly take Tamaki Togata on as an intern, before passing away peacefully in his sleep. Of course, he'd also claimed he was staying alive just so he could dance on Recovery Girl's grave, but that hadn't happened.

Toshi wished the old man was still with them to see the Hero he was becoming. He'd based some of his own fighting style on the way Great Granpa Torino had bounced around.

He'd kept a baseball cap on, hiding his green curls under it as much as he could, and the lower part of his face, including the circular pink patches on his cheeks, under a sickness mask. It gave him a little more privacy.

Uncle Mirio's words were still ringing in his head and he really needed to get them sorted out. He'd thought coming down here, seeing his grandpa, his dad, and all his extended family would help him get his head around them, but he wasn't sure it was helping any. So many Heroes. People carrying on legacies like Uncle Tenya, proving they were more than their past like Uncle Shoto, proving that no Quirk was villainous like Uncle Hitoshi, proving that brains mattered more than beauty like Aunt Momo, even people like Minoru Mineta showing that anyone had heroic potential.

Had all of them known why they were following the path of the Hero so early? Were they certain of it? Uncle Mirio had said he didn't have to have a definitive answer. But surrounded by all this, Toshi couldn't help but feel that he wasn't measuring up.

"You know," a voice from behind him said, "I like it down here too."

Toshi turned around and saw his dad, similarly disguised. "Hey," he said. "Didn't expect to see you down here."

"Got Hitoshi working with Haimawari and Kocho," Dad said. Toshi could tell he was smiling by the light in his eyes and the sound of his voice. "But Mirio said you were a little rattled this morning. You want to talk about it?"

Toshi drew in a breath, closed his eyes, then nodded. No harm in asking for help. "Yeah. I think I would."

For some, the roof of Might Tower might have been scary, being one of the tallest buildings in Tokyo. But Toshi wasn't afraid. He'd been up here many times, starting when he was just a small child. With Dad able to fly from the portion of One for All inherited from Nana Shimura and Mom's Zero-gravity Quirk, he'd never been afraid of falling, especially when his own Quirk had kicked in. The view of the city was truly impressive, reminding him of just how many people lived here and how many people relied on Heroes for their safety.

"So what's on your mind, champ?" Dad asked. His tone was pretty light, but Toshi could hear the concern behind it. "Mirio said he got you thinking this morning. Is that still bothering you?"

"Maybe," Toshi said. "I thought I knew what I was doing, Dad. And then Uncle Mirio started asking me what I wanted. And then I didn't know."

"You sure about that?" Dad asked, encouragingly, patiently, like he was trying to draw something out of him.

"It's just…" Toshi began, trailing off. He waved a hand in the general direction of the city. "I remember something you told me a long time ago. About when you met Grandpa Might and saved helped save Uncle Kacchan from the Sludge Monster. You said there were Heroes there who didn't help, because they didn't think they could. But you could, so you rushed in even though you didn't have a Quirk back then. You always told me that if you could help, you should help, for no other reason than because you could.

"I've always tried to do that. I know I've got it way easier compared to a lot of people. A good Quirk, money, opportunities, and a family with some of the most famous Heroes in the history of, like, ever.

"All I've ever wanted to do with that is help people. And that means helping my friends too. Katsumi, Izumi, Haimawari, Shota, whoever."

Toshi clenched a hand into a fist, slamming it into his other palm. "That's what I want to be. It's who I am. That's what I'm going to do! I'm going to be the guy that helps people!"

His dramatic moment was broken by the sound of Dad clapping. "Just what I thought you'd say!"

The moment passed, Toshi felt puzzlement creep in. "But Uncle Mirio said…"

"He said you needed to know yourself, right?"

Toshi nodded and Dad went on. "He might not have put it just right, but what he was really getting at was that you should be sure you're doing it because that's what you want to do, not just because you think it's what you want to do, or even because you feel you have to do. There's a difference between doing the right thing because you have to and because you want to. You've always looked out for other people. You do it without thinking, just like a Hero. But now you _know_ it. And I think your friends are lucky to have you looking out for them. I'm so proud of you."

He could see tears in Dad's eyes. "Daaaad," he said, waving his hands in front of him rapidly. "Don't cry! If you cry, I'm gonna…"

Too late.

They cried.

Some things never changed. But fortunately, the tears didn't last long.

"So," Dad said after a moment, "have you called your girlfriend yet? Not a good idea to leave a girl hanging for too long, you know. I remember, before your mother, when I was dating Melissa and didn't call her for three days and…"

Toshi's heart seized up. "…Sora!" He headed for the door to the stairwell, fumbling for his phone. "Sorry, Dad, gotta go!"


	51. Chapter 46: Doctor's Orders

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 46: Doctor's Orders**

Kimiko Ojiro put a hand on the boy's arm and concentrated, drawing upon her Quirk. She had to keep this controlled, confined to just one area. Nobody needed a full on skeleton sitting in front of them. As she applied her power, the layers of skin, muscle, and other bodily gunk seemed to just vanish, eliciting a gasp from the boy. It was, even she'd admit, kind of gross. Especially the part where she could see all the muscles and stuff. Still, it was the perfect way to see the bones beneath.

"Okay, I've only been doing this a little while," she said, "but that is definitely broken. I'm ninety-nine percent certain you shouldn't have a gap there."

Hisashi Horikoshi, a General Studies student with a drawing-related Quirk, winced. "Any chance you can turn that off? This is super creepy." He was probably trying for eye contact, but his gaze was a little lower than it should have been. Still, it was more effort than a lot of people made.

At that, Doctor Izumi chuckled. "It is a bit strange, isn't it?" she asked. "But Ojiro here has already saved us a quite a lot on running some of our imaging machines. And it's easier on you too if there's no radiation."

And good for Kimiko too, she had to admit. Doctor Izumi had arranged for a small stipend for her for whenever she'd needed Kimiko's services as an imaging device. It wasn't a lot, but it put a few extra dollars in her pocket, and she got some additional experience.

Being Doctor Izumi's Intern wasn't too different from what she'd been doing before. Ever since the doctor had gotten her interested in becoming a Medical Hero, Kimiko had spent what time she could studying medical texts, preparing to earn a paramedic's license, and assisting Doctor Izumi with minor injuries on the U.A. campus. Between that, Hero training, her regular classes, and working on her webshow with Takuma and Kenta, she had a very full schedule.

The studying was going to be the death of her, she just knew it. She struggled with a lot of her studies, she knew, but she needed to do better. Especially if she wanted to be a Medical Hero. There were accelerated programs for Heroes who wanted medical training, that she could take after she graduated, but she had also been warned that they were very demanding. Doctor Kimiko Ojiro had a pretty nice ring to it though, so she was going to give it her best.

Plus, it made her feel like she was really _doing_ something with her Quirk. Something more than just sneaking around. Something that meant actually putting it to use, instead of just taking advantage of the fact that she was already invisible. She was proud of the work her mom did, but she didn't want to be completely defined by her Quirk.

"It's a clean break, fortunately," Doctor Izumi told Horikoshi. "How did this happen again?"

"Gym class," he said, looking a bit ashamed. "Fell off the climbing rope and landed on it. Not real good at climbing."

"Oh, that's not so bad!" Kimiko said. She'd been doing it for years. Sure, she didn't have quite the upper body strength her dad did for it, but she was more than athletic enough to do it without even needing to get her feet involved.

"For you, maybe," he said. "Those of us not in the Hero course have to make do."

Kimiko opted not to point out that her new friend Kocho wasn't in the Hero Course (yet) but had done good enough to take Third Place in the Sport's Festival. Horikoshi had actually made it past the first round as well, she recalled, but had gotten taken out very early into Quirkball.

Doctor Izumi examined the break again, then nodded. "You'll feel a slight tingle here," she said, laying a hand on Horikoshi's arm, right above the break. "Can you keep holding on, Ojiro? It'll be easier on me if you do."

"Sure thing," Kimiko said, not even bothering to nod. It would have been a useless gesture anyway.

"Thank you," Doctor Izumi said. "Hmm. Probably about fifteen minutes…" A soft glow began to spread from her hand and it was all Kimiko could do not to grasp in shock as the glow spread to Horikoshi and the bones in his arm began knitting themselves back together, as though the damage was going in reverse. Kimiko had a pretty good eye for detail—a necessity when you couldn't see yourself—and it was so much more than that. She could see little signs of the rest of him rewinding as well. Not a lot, but the smudge on his face, the disheveled state of his hair, all these things rewound too. In mere moments, it looked as though his arm had never been broken at all. Doctor Izumi let out a breath and released him.

"Perfect," she told Kimiko. Kimiko likewise let out a breath. Doctor Izumi's Quirk was impressive, to say the least. It was little wonder that in addition to working at U.A., she kept herself on call for multiple Hero Agencies and several local hospitals. She'd even occasionally been raced across the country for special cases.

Which was not to say all her talents lived in her Quirk. Kimiko had already seen that her medical knowledge was very real. Most diseases couldn't be so easily rewound and there were limits to the damage she could repair.

"Thank goodness," Horikoshi said. "That was my drawing arm. Don't know what I would have done otherwise."

Doctor Izumi smiled. "Glad to hear it. Go get a pass from Recovery Girl, and get back to class."

"Yes, Doctor," Horikoshi said, hopping down off the bed.

Kimiko watched him go. Recovery Girl was nearby, sleeping at her desk. "You're pure evil," she said in her sleep. "Just like newspaper comics…"

Horikoshi hesitated, then gently touched her. Her hand instantly shot out, grapping his arm. "Ah ha! Thought you could sneak up on me, eh? But I've got you now, Dirty Dairu! Ha ha ha!"

"Recovery Girl," Doctor Izumi said, firmly, "he's a student. Could you let him go?"

Reality seemed to return to Recovery Girl. "Oh, of course, dearie." She patted Horikoshi's arm. "Don't worry about it, sonny, takes me a minute to remember where I am sometimes."

Once Horikoshi was gone and Recovery Girl had returned to her nap, Kimiko gave Doctor Izumi a curious look. She tried to telegraph that with her crossed arms and other body language. Sometimes, having no expression to read was a pain in the butt. "Ah," she began, "maybe this is rude of me… but should she really… be around students like that?"

Doctor Izumi closed her eyes and shook her head. "Recovery Girl outlived her family. Deku and a lot of other alumni have all offered to pay for a place in a top tier retirement home for her, but she won't have it. She's said she'll go kicking and screaming if they try. U.A. is all she has. At least here, she has people who will watch out for her. And even with her diminishing faculties, she has her lucid moments still."

Oh. Well. That was… pretty sad, actually.

Medical scissors, gauze, medical tape, pen light, mouth-to-mouth shield, rescue blanket, ballpoint pen, syringes, waterproof bandages, tunicates, stethoscope… Each of these and more had a place in the bag before her, had to be loaded in a specific order, each had to be placed in a specific spot.

And in an emergency, each was something that had to be retrieved quickly. You had to know exactly where each and every item in the EMT kit was. Time was people's lives. There were smaller ones, for lighter work or work in tighter places, but the bigger kit was common too.

And for the first time, Kimiko had been able to retrieve each item Doctor Izumi had called for without looking!

"I did it!" she squealed, clapping her hands together.

"You did," Doctor Izumi agreed. "What changed? You were really struggling with it before."

"Studying," Kimiko groaned. "And practicing. So much studying. I even made flashcards. I never make flashcards. I even smacked Takuma until he helped me study." She let out a puff of breath. "I don't know how you do it, Doc. I start doing all this studying and I feel like my brain's going to ooze out of my ears."

For all her bad grades, Kimiko generally considered herself pretty knowledgeable. It's just that her areas of knowledge were very specialized. For example, she knew just about who everybody in the first year was dating and probably at least half of the second and third years. Plus there was all the celebrity gossip she had floating around in her head. And she was _great_ at getting that information out to the people, who deserved to know.

But ask her to remember facts and figures or solve equations? That was a lot harder.

She needed to get better, she knew. Hard to be an EMT or a doctor if you couldn't tell the difference between a tibia and a femur. Wait. Was that actual medical terminology? Maybe she _was_ getting better at this!

Doctor Izumi gave her a reassuring smile. "You _do_ realize I didn't learn all of this in a few weeks, right? You've been working with me off and off since the second week of school, but that's still only been a couple of months. It may have been an accelerated program, but I _did_ go to med school."

Kimiko made a face and was instantly grateful her expressions weren't visible. "And how long did that take?"

"Three years at U.A.," Doctor Izumi said, counting off on her fingers, "the whole time of which I was interning under Recovery Girl. Then two years in a pre-med program at university, and three years of an accelerated medical school program. All the while balancing Hero work and assisting here. Which is _ridiculously_ short. Aoyama's husband gives me hell about it all the time. Mostly teasing, but still."

Before she could continue, Doctor Izumi's cellphone rang. "A phone call is here!" the phone proudly declared, in a voice Kimiko recognized as Deku's. She looked at the caller id and let out a small gasp.

"Excuse me, I've got to take this," she said to Kimiko, putting the phone to her ear. "This is Doctor Izumi."

She listened for a moment, something Kimiko couldn't hear, then spoke again. "That's… that's wonderful! Yes, absolutely. Kota and I can be there. Next Tuesday. Thank you, thank you…"

When she turned the phone off, Kimiko realized that Doctor Izumi was crying happy tears. "Good news?" she asked.

Doctor Izumi pulled a tissue from a box on her desk and dabbed at her eyes. "The best, actually. Kota and I, we've been trying to adopt for a while now. We're both orphans, so this is our way of giving something back, now that we're both successful Heroes and teachers."

She flipped the phone around, showing Kikimo a picture of an adorable little girl with pale purple skin, darker purple hair, and pointed ears, probably no more than three or four. "Her name's Himari," Doctor Izumi said. "She lost her parents in a villain attack about a year ago. Kota and I finally got approved to adopt her. We're bringing her home next Tuesday."

Kimiko clapped her hands and let out another squeal of delight. "Omigosh! She's so adorable! I know you're going to make a great mom!" A thought popped into her head. "Wait! That means Mister Aizawa is going to be a grandpa!"

A brief mental picture of Mister Aizawa being grandfatherly, sharing hard candies while sitting in a rocking chair, popped into her mind. She quickly forced that out by mentally reciting gossip, lest it burn itself to the inside of her eyelids. She knew Mister Aizawa was Doctor Izumi's adoptive father and Shota Shinso's godfather, but the thought of him being that soft and parental just didn't add up.

The doctor smiled again. "He is. But don't tell him, or anyone else for that matter. We want it to be a surprise."

That got a gasp out of Kimiko. "Sitting on juicy gossip like that? Ooooh that's so unfair…" She flailed her arms and stomped her feet. Doctor Izumi just stared at her, so she quickly stopped. "Okay!"

One advantage to interning with Doctor Izumi was that, since she didn't have an actual Agency, Kimiko was just able to stay in her dorm room, rather than bunking in some Agency with a bunch of sidekicks or whatever. Of course, with everyone else gone, it was oddly empty and way too quiet, but Doctor Izumi kept her working long hours (helping with students during the day, quizzing her over medical knowledge, helping her with paperwork and study aides the rest of the time) so that she didn't have much time to dwell on it.

Still, she missed the others. Especially Takuma and Kenta. They really were her best friends in all the world. Takuma, at least, was uploading content about his Internship. Kenta had done one brief video at the start and then they'd just texted sporadically.

The school had also had people in doing construction on the third floor, where Kaminari, Tokoyami, Mineta, and Koda lived. As it had turned out, there were actually more than four rooms on each floor. It explained how they were so far apart, actually. The other rooms were just hidden away behind wall panels. They'd unlocked one of those and brought in furniture for Koharu Kocho. She'd actually be joining the Hero Course with the second semester! Kimiko had figured she'd get to move over, but hadn't expected it to be that soon.

Good for her! Even though Kocho'd beaten her in the Tournament Round, Kimiko still liked her a lot. Plus, it'd be pretty nice to have the girls outnumber the boys around here. Not that their boys were _too_ bad, but more girl power was always going to be appreciated.

Logically, she knew she should get some rest. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day. But the siren song of Hero gossip was calling her. Maybe just a little look wouldn't hurt. Kimiko opened up her laptop and clicked over to one of the gossip feeds she followed. Which also reminded her she really needed to follow up on whether or not Haimawari was dating Tetsutetsu from 1-B and what was going on with Mineta and that large boy in the Shiketsu uniform, ramp up her plot to get David Togata a girlfriend, and get a new read on some of the other courses. One had to keep current in the gossip news market, after all.

Some things, she could disregard immediately as clickbait, like the rumors of Mt. Lady and Kamui Woods splitting up. The chances of that happening were almost nil. Others were potentially more accurate, like the possibility that Wing Saber and Stardust were dating. Which was actually pretty gross, since Stardust was his Sidekick and former Work Study participant. Definitely improper.

"Oh!" Kimiko let out a gasp at the next item in the feed. Sequoia Rose, the daughter of Kamui Woods and Mount Lady, was spotted with a movie starlet she'd rescued from kidnappers last month. A grin crossed her lips. "A rescue romance? Just like Tensei and Takuma!"

But what she saw next made her laugh out loud for a good five minutes before she was composed enough to even think straight.

Fighting back giggles, she looked over a picture of Suneater and Nejire-chan, along with Kenta. Suneater was looking at something off camera she couldn't see, while Nejire-chan was standing _very_ close to Kenta, grinning wildly. Probably asking him a million questions, she guessed. Kenta was looking slightly uncomfortable at the attention.

But it was the headline that had made her laugh. _Is Nejire-chan Scoping Out a Younger Model to Replace Suneater? _She knew it was a total fabrication, but some nebulous feeling stirred in her gut. She pushed it down.

She took a screenshot and sent it to Kenta and Takuma's phones. Moments later, hers buzzed.

**Kenta: Just kill me now.**

**Takuma: You lady killer you! (**** ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**

**I can't believe you wouldn't tell me about this, Kenta! How rude!**

**You know I'm supposed to get first dibs on all gossip!**

**I'm making my angry face at you! ****ヽ****(**ಠ**_**ಠ**)****ノ**

**Kenta: Kimi, you know that headline's nonsense!**

**Takuma: Just what someone trying to throw us off the scent would say!**

**Takuma: And shouldn't your angry face be more like ****ヽ ノ**

**Definitely got to share this with the world!**

**AND THAT'S NOT FUNNY, TAKUMA! DON'T MAKE ME TRACK YOU DOWN SO I CAN SMACK YOU!**

**Kenta: I know you're both kidding, but I am this close to just taking a bite out of my phone**.

**Takuma: Get someone else to film it on yours if you do! I can totally spin that as meta-commentary! People love stuff that they think is deep!**

Kimiko just laughed. Those boys of hers…

It was raining and Kimiko was getting soaked and cold. All the more reason to be glad she could make her brightly colored pink and neon green costume invisible along with the rest of her, rather than having to strip like the way Mom did. The rain was plastering her short hair to her head and outlining exposed head in random blotches. Her goggles were starting to get streaked and blotchy too.

Part of being a Medical Hero was being called out to respond to Villain the aftermath of Villain attacks and disasters, such as they had been, responding to an earthquake in the coastal city of Takodana. It was almost weird to think that nature alone could do such damage, compared to the kind of damage a runaway villain could do.

She'd been making herself as useful as she could, performing field x-rays on civilians, making doors and other things invisible so that other rescue workers could see inside, and sometimes just helping people get to triage where more experienced medical workers could treat them.

"X-Ray," Doctor Izumi said, pointing to where a pile of rubble blocked the entrance to a small shop. Her Hero name felt good in her ears. "Can you give us a visual?"

Kimiko nodded, her silver goggles fulfilling their secondary purpose of marking where her head was. "On it," she said. Carefully, she placed a hot-pink glove on the on rubble and pushed her Quirk outward. Slowly, the rubble became indistinct and then completely invisible. The invisibility spread to each piece touching the one she was, then onto the outer wall of the building itself. It was a lot to make invisible at once and she felt a pressure growing in her skull, but she could hold it for a moment.

Inside, they could see two women, one pinned under a fallen metal shelf, the other holding her hand. A store clerk appeared to be trying to lift it, but to no avail.

"Good job," Doctor Izumi said. She tapped the communicator in her ear. "This is Doc Clock. We've got one confirmed wounded, possibly two additional wounded. Requesting someone with a Quirk that can shift rubble to my location."

Gritting her teeth, Kimiko released her invisibility field. Her head ached from the strain. She'd never tried to extend her invisibility around that much mass before. It had left her feeling stretched out.

"Are you all right?" Doctor Izumi asked.

"Fine," Kimiko said, quickly. No time to be showing weakness now.

"You're not," Doctor Izumi said. "You're showing signs of Quirk Exhaustion. You can only push yourself so far." She gently touched Kimiko's shoulder. "May I?"

Kimiko nodded and she felt a strange warmth flowing through her and the headache dissipated just as quickly as it had arrived. Some of the tiredness she'd been feeling was gone too.

"Only about ten minutes back," Doctor Izumi assured her. "Just to get you over the hump."

"Sorry," Kimiko said, shaking her head.

"Don't be," Doctor Izumi said. "You're doing great. But you've got limits, just like everyone else. A Hero gives their all, but if you sacrifice yourself, you're just one more body to be rescued."

Kimiko nodded. She was pretty sure she'd heard Mister Aizawa say the same thing. "Okay."

"You don't have a head," the small boy, probably no more than four, said. She'd had to remove her goggles in order to see, after the rain had gotten too intense for them. He'd been left in the triage area while medical professionals worked on his mother. With everyone else working, she'd been left to watch him.

"Do too," she said.

"Uh-uh," he insisted.

"Uh-huh," she said.

"Uh-uh."

"I do too have a head!" she said, stomping her foot. "It's just invisible!"

The boy shook his head. "Nope. No head. How come you can still talk?"

"Why you little…" Kimiko's arms were flailing, as she prepared to make her irritation loudly and violently known. She suddenly stopped herself. This wasn't Takuma. She couldn't just smack him until he agreed that she was right. Her shoulders slumped. "…That's my Quirk. No Head."

"Oh. Okay."

Back at U.A. the next day, Doctor Izumi dropped a large stack of paperwork down in front of Kimiko. "What's this?"

"After action report," Doctor Izumi said. "I know you've seen those in class before."

"This looks a lot more complicated," she said. "I _definitely_ don't remember the ones Mister Aizawa had us fill out having this many lines on it. Or that many little boxes."

"They're different for Medical Heroes. Any time Quirks are used in medical treatment, there's more paperwork involved. Before, we were under the auspices of the school's consent to treat, but out in the field, it's different. More liabilities involved and more to be accounted for."

Kimiko's head fell on the table. Great. Just great. More paperwork. "How much more complicated are we talking about?"

"They're generally about twice as long as a regular after action report. More so if things get complicated. I've got a lot of my own to fill out, but I'll help you get started on some, since it's your first time."

She carefully put a hand on the stack of paperwork when Doctor Izumi wasn't looking and applied her Quirk to it. "Started on what?" Kimiko asked.

At that, Doctor Izumi laughed. "Nice try, kid," she said, pulling up a chair next to Kimiko. "But it's not that easy."

Kimiko let out a pitiful whine, but took her hand off the paperwork, releasing her Quirk. "Oh, all right…"

Truthfully, the paperwork wasn't that big of a nightmare. Though she was definitely beginning to understand why bigger Agencies just had people to handle this kind of thing. But at the same time, each one was a reminder of the good they'd done last night. Maybe her part hadn't been the biggest, but she actually felt like she'd done important things.

"Um, Doctor Izumi?" Kimiko asked.

"Yes?" she replied.

"I just wanted to say thank you. For giving me this chance. And for believing in me. I know I'm kind of an, ah, airhead sometimes but… Thanks." Kimiko paused. "I'm smiling, by the way. I know you can't see it."

Doctor Izumi smiled. "You're a good kid, Ojiro. And you've got a good eye and a bigger heart. You're going to do great. And trust me, I know all about the power of someone believing in you."

In her pocket, Kimiko's phone dinged with the alert notification from one of her gossip sites. She didn't bother to check it.

Right now, some things were more important.


	52. Chapter 47: Faith and Lust

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 47: Faith and Lust**

_Akaya Koda in Tears from a Stone_

Akaya tossed a handful of seeds into the water and called out to them with her Quirk, causing the water plants to grow larger and more rapidly than they ever would if they had been left to their own devices. The water lilies large and strong, forming the perfect series of rafts between the sinking yacht and the _Oki Mariner_. Other members of the _Oki Mariner _crew, all of whom had aquatic Quirks, worked to help safely transport the yacht goers across.

Aunt Tsu—Froppy, when she was working, of course—directed the action like a consummate professional. "Don't worry," she said. "You're in safe hands with my girls." As always, her expression never seemed to change, unless you were familiar with her. Nevertheless, the pride in her voice was quite evident.

Normally, this would have been a job for more local services, but they had been close with the call had gone out and so had taken charge. There'd been six people on the yacht, three adults, a young boy, and a pair of teenagers about her own age, a boy and a girl. The two parents were highly inebriated, the other adult, a butler, slightly shaken. The inebriation probably explained the fact that the yacht had dashed itself on rocks. The younger boy's eyes were wide, quite taken with all the Heroes.

The teenagers, on the other hand, seemed more annoyed than anything else. No, not just annoyed. Annoyed and… disgusted? The looks they were giving her and the other crew members like Octo-Pod, Tera-Spin, and even Aunt Tsu, she hadn't encountered such cold looks in some time. But they were frighteningly familiar all the same.

"Can't believe we got rescued by the aquarium patrol," the teenage boy said to his sister, sneering.

"Were all the other Heroes busy?" the girl asked, her haughty tone of voice carrying easily. "I don't remember ordering sushi."

"Or a rock garden," the boy added. "Think she's hard everywhere?"

"Don't be gross," the girl shot back. "Nobody ought to be thinking anything like that about any of these freaks."

"I _wasn't_ thinking about _doing_ anything! What kind of freak do you think I am? Have to be pretty desperate to want anything like that with her."

Akaya felt her face flush as she looked away. Meanwhile, Asuka Sakamata, the daughter of Gang Orca, and third year student at U.A., hauled her massive black and white bulk up onto the deck. Lady Orca, as she called herself, was Froppy's Work Study student and the largest woman Akaya had ever seen, easily dwarfing her and even larger than Grandmother Koda. Despite her fierce appearance, though, Akaya had already come to know her bark was far worse than her bite.

Still, it did not take strong powers of observation to see the hurt in Sakamata's eyes. She'd heard it too. Akaya was certain that the hurt was mirrored in her own eyes. Her own Quirk was, technically, an Emitter type. But she carried with her inherited mutations from an ancestor on her father's side that had possessed the Quirk "Rock Skin." That skin had been passed along her bloodline in the form of changed appearances, even as other Quirks had combined and mutated. It gave her great size and perhaps some small measure of greater strength and resilience with it, coarsening her skin even still. Her moss like hair came from her mother's side of the family, where plant-like Quirks and appearances were common.

She was well aware that she appeared to be something of a walking mountain range. Or perhaps a troll, as some of her middle school classmates had called her. She'd thought she'd buried such hurt long ago. She had many friends who did not care about her appearance one iota. But she was only fooling herself, if she'd thought the world had moved past such things.

"Buncha ingrates," Sakamata said, crossing her arms. "Shoulda just let them drown."

"They are young and foolish," Akaya said. "Perhaps they may yet learn in time."

They watched as the parents avoided the touch of Cephalo-Squad and Rockhopper, the mother in particular shrinking away from Cephalo-Squad's tentacles.

Sakamata grunted. "Looks like it ain't just them. Bastards. Maybe we should just throw them overboard."

Akaya only wished it were that easy.

Space aboard the _Oki Mariner _was at a premium, even with the improvements to the ship Aunt Tsu had been able to make to it during her rise to being one of the Top Ten Heroes. But Akaya was able to steal a few minutes in the cabin she shared with the penguin-like Rockhopper and turtle-like Tera-Spin. She was grateful for the all-female crew, at least. With how she was feeling now, male attention would only make it worse. But she appreciated the all-too-brief moment of privacy even more.

She got down on her knees, feeling the slight rocking of the ship beneath her, and folded her hands. Closing her eyes, she bowed her head. "Lord, grant me the strength to endure their slings and arrows," she prayed. "I try not to listen to their words, but the hatred in their hearts does me great pain. I do not mean to question your plan, Lord…"

She opened her eyes and, as a tear fell down her face, found herself staring at her hands, with their wide palms, and thick, coarse fingers. Akaya folded them again and closed her eyes. "And I am not unhappy with who I am. I know this is but another challenge I must overcome… But I do know if I have that strength."

Life, she knew, came in many different forms since the advent of Quirks. The nature of attraction itself had changed. But there were still many who perceived those with inherited mutations or Mutant-Type Quirks as less than human. And even within those who were open-minded and accepting, the further from the norm one deviated, the more scrutiny you faced. Even before her… developments, she knew her dear friend Mika's appearance had elicited far less shock and discomfort than Akaya's own. Her horns and hooves did little to diminish her attractiveness in most eyes. Sero, Tokoyami, Kaminari, Shoji, even Ojiro, there were many of Class 1-A that had unusual appearances. But even with his extra-arms, Shoji was considered quite handsome, and Sero cultivated his look in such a way that few people called him on it. Those with animal characteristics, like much of the crew here and Tokoyami, had their own problems to bear, but it was more varied. Her own younger brother Rikido appeared basically human, with only green hair to show for his differences, and thankfully did not endure what she had to.

She still remembered one of her first crushes, three years ago, a hasty and mumbled confession when she's skewed up all her courage to ask him out. He'd been a friend. He'd said _"Sorry, Koda, but I'm just not into rock-people_." He'd meant well by it. But somehow, that had hurt far worse than anything else could have.

Her friends at U.A., both those she had grown up with and those she had made since starting at the school, at least, had no problems with her appearance. And many of them, Mika, Kana, Shiro, and even Aoyama, would be ready to "throw hands," in Shiro's words, with anyone who had spoken to her as the people they rescued had. None of which made it hurt any less.

She was but as God had made her. Why did so many see that as wrong?

"Fuck 'em all," Sakamata said, as she and Akaya were on deck-swabbing duty. The events of the rescue still weighed heavily on Akaya's mind, even though most of the other crew appeared to have moved on from it. For now, the _Oki Mariner_ was docked in the harbor, much of the crew ashore getting dinner, with only a skeleton crew left behind. It still left them plenty to do.

Aunt Tsu had tried to be reassuring, but she could not understand, not really. For all that Frog was a Mutant-type Quirk, Aunt Tsu's deviations from baseline were fairly minor. She was a beloved Hero and a favorite of children, seen by many as cute. She could not understand.

Akaya regarded Sakamata for a moment. "That hardly seems the Christian thing to do," she said.

The orca-woman pointed a finger at Akaya. "You're the way you are. Don't apologize for it. Don't let them tell you what you're worth. You think I gave a shit what meatheads and dumbasses thought when I started transitioning? You think I give a shit what some bigot thinks of how I look?"

Sakamata was the daughter of a former Top Ten Hero and a rising star at U.A. One of the Big Three of her year, alongside Nejire Togata, and a Speed-Quirk user named Hayai Sokudo. Akaya had already seen how she threw herself into every task before her, the way in which she walked unapologetically through life. And yet, Akaya had already seen that she could be kind as well. She was not soft-spoken, but could be soft when it came to children or animals like dolphins and whales.

Truthfully, she reminded Akaya of Kirishima-Bakugo.

But there was something behind those red eyes of hers, the same pain Akaya had seen there earlier. "I think," she said, "you care more than you let on. Or more than you would like to, at least."

"…Yeah, okay," Sakamata growled. "What can I say? People suck."

"More people are good than not," Akaya replied. "At least, so I chose to believe."

"And when they're not?"

"Then my faith sustains me. Or so I try. I pray for the strength to endure and I pray for their enlightenment."

Sakamata snorted. "No offense, but that sounds like a lot of useless wishing."

Akaya was used to such reactions when she spoke of her faith. Christianity was not common in Japan and not well understood. "None taken. But my faith sustains me when I feel like breaking."

Sakamata gave her a skeptical look, but then shrugged. "Whatever works," she said. "I've probably punched a few more people than I oughta have. Tossed a couple of 'em around. Might be a reason for all the black marks on my record.

"But if you want me to, I can punch the next guy who says somethin'. Lots of bigots in this town."

Akaya nodded as they resumed their work. "It is appreciated, but I will decline."

There would always be those who were cruel and thoughtless, who judged others for matters beyond their control. But at least she had found someone else who knew how she felt. She remembered her mother's words, that prayers were not always answered in the way you would think.

Sakamata lived her truth, unapologetically, with strength and courage. Akaya, truthfully, struggled at times with her appearance, especially when so many of her friends and classmates were so much more traditionally attractive. That she was from a long line of people who looked like her suggested it wasn't impossible that someone would find her pretty, but some days, that seemed like a very far off possibility.

But perhaps she could find something worth following in Sakamata's example. She just had to have faith.

_Mika Mineta in A Lustful Morning _

Mika had never been awake at 0500 hours before. She was pretty sure she hadn't even been aware 0500 was an actual, for real, not made-up time before now. But Ingenium insisted upon an "early patrol" every Wednesday, in order to "remind people from all walks of life and occupations that Heroes will be there for them, every hour, of every day." This explanation had been punctuated by significant hand waving. Mika wasn't certain if it was just a tick or if he was trying to enhance his communications through semaphore.

How someone could be as attractive as he was—a little over two meters of pure, rock-solid beefcake—and be that big of a stick in the mud, she had no idea.

She'd only been here since Monday and she'd already worked harder than she ever had before, even in her Hero classes at U.A. Intense physical training, readiness drills, and so many manuals to read and procedures to memorize. Not to mention having been forced to make her bed in the Sidekick's berth multiple times until she'd gotten it right. _And_ there was the criticism of her costume, as "overly sexual" and "not fitting for a woman of your young age." Just because Ingenium's daughter ran around in full armor…

Ingenium ran a tight ship. Which was not to say everyone under him did. His brother, Tensei Iida (not to be confused with the Tensei Iida who was in her class), who lent his expertise as mission control, was a much more easy going individual. And several of the Sidekicks were more relaxed as well, though a few did try to model themselves after their leader.

Speaking of, she knew Team Iidaten had a lot of Sidekicks working for it, but seeing it in the flesh was quite another. Many of them had mobility-related Quirks, though not all of them. And all of them very attractive.

"Ugh," she said, rubbing her eyes. "I've already been up thirty minutes. Why can't I have coffee?"

Ingenium was standing before her and the four other Sidekicks selected for morning patrol. "Coffee is an addictive stimulant!" he said, waving his arms through the air in what seemed like random, but carefully controlled motions. "A Hero must always be prepared to function at their best, regardless of circumstances, and without artificial aides! While some coffee is acceptable in moderation, relying upon it as a jumpstart is unacceptable!"

"Okay, okay," Mika said, rolling her eyes. Guy definitely didn't do anything by half measures.

"And stand up straight!" Ingenium continued. He was wearing the helmet, but she could tell he was scrutinizing her all the same. And not in the way she liked to be scrutinized. Objectifying her was one thing, but actually judging her and trying to correct her faults? What was the world coming to?

There was a sudden rush of air and a red and gold blur arrived, seemingly out of nowhere, next to Ingenium. It resolved itself into a woman with long blonde hair, wearing tall red boots with yellow trim, a red and gold leotard, and long red gloves, likewise with yellow trim. Red trimmed goggles with yellow lenses completed the outfit. On her chest—yeah, she was looking—was a yellow lightning bolt symbol. "SorryI'mlate," she said, tossing off a small salute to Ingenium. "Hadtostopapursesnatcheronmywayhere. Don'tworry, I'llgetallthepaperwork filedbeforetheday'sover!"

Okay, Mika was reasonably certain those were words. But they'd come out way too fast for her to follow. And probably for Ingenium too, as his expression passed through irritation, confusion, and then acceptance.

"Flash-Step," Ingenium said, "glad you could join us for this early patrol. And do not worry, your duty to the citizens of this city outweigh your duty to be on time. Just please remember to slow down before you file the paperwork."

"Ofcourse,Boss," Flash-Step said.

"Sorry," she added, finally slowing down. "Was still going pretty fast there. Back to normal now."

She shook her head, sending her hair cascading in a halo around her. Mika took a moment to take in everything, from her well-toned legs to her chest to an ass that looked like you could bounce small change off of to what looked like a six-pack under her leotard.

"Mineta," Ingenium said, "please meet Hayai Sokudo, my Work Study participant, from U.A. She will be responsible for supervising you during this morning's patrol."

Maybe 0500 wasn't so bad after all.

Mika's hooves made a soft _clip-clop _ on the pavement as she and Flash-Step walked through the streets of Hosu City. It had been pretty boring. According to Ingenium, crime never slept. Right at that moment, though, it felt like crime was sleeping in. Of course, she'd managed to nearly walk into three street signs, two mailboxes, and one phone booth (Why was there still a phone booth in this day and age?). So there was that.

She couldn't help it. The view was _incredibly_ distracting. Of course, Mika found most people distractingly attractive. But Flash-Step was _really_ distractingly attractive. Like, on the level of Shinji distractingly attractive.

Speaking of her boyfriend, she surreptitiously took a picture of the Work Study student with her phone while she was speaking with a civilian, then sent it to Shinji.

**Babe, look who I'm working with.**

**Sorry, right, it's stupid early.**

**Hope I didn't wake you up.**

**But, she is, like, super-hot.**

**Should I hit on her? Y/N?**

**Hot Boyfriend: Holy hurricanes! **

**Hot Boyfriend: She is nearly as spectacular as you!**

**Hot Boyfriend: I INSIST that you hit on her! To waste this opportunity would be criminal!**

**Babe, you are –the best-**

**Wait, crap. What if she's straight?**

**Hot Boyfriend: You won't know until you try!**

**Hot Boyfriend: But if she is straight, could you try and talk me up?**

**What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't?**

**Try and talk my boyfriend up to the hot girl that we're both trying to hit on? **

**Of course I will!**

An open relationship with a super-hunk worked out really well.

Flash-Step, as it turned out, possessed a Quirk called "High Gear." It let her shift into super-speed for five minutes, but then required another five minutes to cool down afterwards. It also took the full five minutes to come out of it, as evidenced by the fact that she remained accelerated and fast talking even if she finished whatever high speed task she'd set herself before that time was up.

"Saw you at the Sports Festival," Flash-Step said, as they walked the streets. "They had Third years helping with security, but I caught your first match on my break. When the Boss said you were coming, I watched the rest." She paused stuck a piece of gum in her mouth. "Don't tell the Boss. Not supposed to have this, but I gotta get my oral fix."

She blew a bubble with perfect lips and such breath control that it made Mika's heart and other parts flutter. It popped, noisily, and she sucked the pieces back in.

"Oh yeah?" Mika asked. The pop had snapped her back to her senses, letting her formulate an actual response, instead of stuttering like a moron. "What'd you think?"

The older girl considered, chewing her gum. "Boss says you're undisciplined and a trouble-maker." Mika's heart sank for a moment. Of course, that was what pretty much everyone thought about her, so she was used to that. Hell, most of the time, she encouraged it. Being underestimated was entirely to her advantage. Flash-Step shrugged. "Now, me, I think…"

"You take that back, you bastard!" the voice cut through the air and cut off any possible answer from Flash-Step. Mika followed the source of it, finding what looked like a bunch of high school boys, two groups of them judging by their uniforms, six in total, getting ready to rumble. Probably a good old fashioned school rivalry.

It was entirely too early for this kind of dumbassitude.

"You gonna make me?" one of the boys in the other uniform taunted. He'd activated his Quirk, idly tossing a fireball from one hand to the other. Next to him, most of the others were calling up their Quirks as well.

"I'll beat it out of you if I have to!" the one who'd called out originally snarled. He raised a palm and a spikey ball of inky blackness appeared, floating around him like a miniature sun. Around him, his own schoolmates were activating their Quirks.

"We going to clobber them?" Mika asked.

"Not if we can help it," Flash-Step said. "If this turns into a fight, we'll have to call the police. It'll go on their records, they might get charged with petty Villainy." She frowned. "But we need to do something before they get tired of posturing."

"So what you're saying is we need to diffuse the situation without violence?"

"Yeah. Guess we could try talking to them…"

A grin spread across Mika's face. Her time had come. "Let me handle this."

"I shouldn't…"

But Mika was already in motion.

"Heeeeey boys," she called out, putting a little bit of extra swing into her hips as she approached. She bent forward entirely more than was necessary, giving them an excellent view of her cleavage. "Think you could break up your fight and spare a minute for little old me?" She gave them her best "airheaded beauty" look, the kind with pouty lips and half-lidded eyes.

This got all eyes on her. Good. That meant they were all straight, or at least bisexual. Being pan herself, she tried not to make too many snap judgements about other's sexualities, even if her radar for that was very good. At least two of them were openly undressing her with their eyes.

She put a hand on her cheek. "I think I'm lost. Any chance you could help me?"

"Sure," the one who'd made the spikey black ball early said. "But what's in it for me?" He was leering. Maybe in a slightly icky way.

"Dude," one of the other ones said. "She's a U.A. student! See the costume? Didn't you watch the Sports Festival?"

"I did," the fireball user said. "She's the one who kept talking like a slut."

Mika pushed down the urge to growl. She owned her own sexuality. To reduce it like that…! But she was playing distraction here. "Oh, tee-hee," she said, forcing herself to giggle. "What do I know about anything like that?"

"You little boys done?" Flash-Step said, having gotten behind them while they'd been distracted.

"What?" "Huh" "Who's..?" Various exclamations of surprise rang out from the six as they realized they were surrounded.

"Get to school, all of you!" Flash-Step shouted. "I've got all your faces recorded on my goggles! If you don't get moving in five seconds or if I hear about you trying to fight like this again, I'm sending it to the cops and every Hero in the city!"

With a grumble, the boys dispersed. There were a few half-hearted "this isn't overs" but the fight had clearly gone out of them.

"Bye-bye, boys," Mika said, waving and blowing them a little kiss.

"Good job," Flash-Step told her, after the boys had left. "Definitely not a strategy I'd have thought of."

Mika grinned. "No? You could have pulled it off, real easy."

"Maybe," Flash-Step replied. If she'd picked up on the subtext Mika was radiating, she didn't show it. "Still, nice distraction and non-violent de-escalation. Pretty sure the Boss wouldn't approve, but he can be kind of a stick in the mud."

"The stickiest," Mika agreed.

They continued walking after that. "Anyway," Flash-Step continued, "Nejire and I were talking about the Spots Festival. She was rooting for Midoriya, of course, but I was rooting for you. You've got guts, kid."

Mika turned so Flash-Step wouldn't see her frown. _Kid_? From somebody only three years older?

Ah, well. Win some, lose some.


	53. Chapter 48: Three More Stories

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 48: Three More Stories**

_Shota Shinso in The Perks of Being a Fanboy_

So far, this had been the best week of Shota's life. He got to work with the Number Four Hero, Ground Zero! The guy who'd snuffed out Mustang Flame, blown Shatterstorm to pieces, and even out-exploded the Living Bomb! One of Uncle Izku's—Deku!—best friends! One of the people who'd taken down the League of Villains!

He'd gotten to go on patrol with him! He'd gotten all kinds of extra training too! And he'd gotten to work with a bunch of different Sidekicks, including Sonic Boom! In fact, Ground Zero had been _very_ insistent that he work with as many of his Sidekicks as possible. Something about "broadening his experiences as much as possible." Shota had even found a new frequency for his Quirk that could make stuff explode by vibrating it just right! That one had _almost_ gotten Ground Zero to smile.

Though really, Ground Zero hadn't talked to him too much, except in short, one or two word answers. Of course, Shota was asking him a lot of questions, about his fights, and his Quirk, and what it was like working with Red Riot or Ingenium or Uncle Izuku or… It was really weird how he didn't seem to know all the details like Shota did.

Either way, it was so exciting! He was even being allowed to sit in on a briefing about a new crime wave Ground Zero was tracking. Though Ground Zero had been very insistent that he not speak. He was supposed to watch and learn.

He could do that!

"Okay," Ground Zero said, standing at the foot of the table. Counting Shota and him, there were eight people in the room, the rest being Sidekicks. A miniature projector hung from the ceiling displaying a map on the whiteboard. Multiple points on the map were highlighted and Shota gave them his attention, trying to see if there was a pattern. "Let's take a look at it again."

He pointed to a spot on the map. "Flash Freeze has hit here, here, here, and here. We stopped the last two, Shoto stopped the second one." Ground Zero made a face at the mention of Shoto's name. For the life of him, Shota couldn't figure out why. Shoto was a great Hero!

"And the first one was stopped by Pinky, of all people. He's not after money, he's not trying to make some nutjob phony baloney statement, he's just out to get his damn jollies making people scream. Bastard's too smart to just be throwing out random attacks. But I can't see the damn pattern."

Shota stared at the map again. It tickled something in the back of his mind. Wait, the Villain's name was Flash Freeze, right? He shot a hand up in the air.

"This ain't school, kid," one of the Sidekicks, a man named Step-Mine said.

"Shut it," Ground Zero said. He fixed Shota with a serious look, crossing his arms. "This better be good, kid."

"Which Flash Freeze is it?" he asked.

Ground Zero gave him a confused look. So did the Sidekicks. "…What?" he asked, flatly.

"Which Flash Freeze is it?" Shota asked again. "I mean, the first one fought Endeavor and All Might a couple of times, but that was when they were young and he'd be way too old now. The second one mostly operated in Hosu City and fought the first Ingenium a few times and even got beat by Native, but he liked to kidnap people and freeze them and hold them for ransom, he didn't get into fights if he could help it and definitely didn't go looking for trouble."

He sucked in a quick breath and kept going. "Then there's the third one, who only showed up twice, but he fought Creati both times, about twenty-three years ago. He was also the only one who didn't have ice powers; he had a camera lens on his chest that froze people in place when he hit them with the flash. Then there was the fourth one, who was part of the second League of Villains, but he died in a prison yard fight after they all got captured, and then there was actually a fifth one about three years ago who fought Sequoia Rose, but she talked him down before he could hurt anyone and last I knew, he actually reformed after prison…"

"Is there a point to this?" another Sidekick, Bulleteer, asked. Shota recognized the tone in her voice. It was the same way adults usually sounded when he was talking too much. He'd done it again.

Shota looked down at the floor.

Ground Zero, meanwhile, approached him and bent down so he was eye level with him. "So," he said, kindly, "lots of Villains have used the name, huh?"

Shota looked up and nodded. "Uh-huh. Lots of people with ice Quirks like to use it."

Ground Zero looked over to Sonic Boom. "Can you look up the statuses of all those Flash Freezes?"

She nodded and tapped a few keys into the computer screen in front of her. "First one's currently in a retirement home outside of Bespeen. Second one is still in prison. Third one was paroled three years ago, but no criminal activity since then. Fourth is confirmed deceased. And the fifth is likewise paroled and working for a non-profit environmentalist group under a work release program."

Ground Zero made a non-committal noise. "Okay, still doesn't tell us anything."

"Told you it was a waste of time," Bulleteer whispered to Step-Mine.

"_Out_." Ground Zero growled.

"Boss, what?"

"I said _out_!" Ground Zero snapped. "You're off the case."

Bulleteer looked like she was going to protest, but a glare from the Hero shut her down. She left, but not before giving Shota a dirty look.

Then Ground Zero turned his attention back to Shota. "Kid…" he began, then stopped suddenly. He looked to the map then to Shota then back to the map again. "Kid, did any of those Flash Freezes have fights at those locations?"

Shota considered the map, wracking his brains. He hoped out of his seat and went over to it. "The first one fought Endeavor here. The second one was only in the city once, but he fought Present Mic here. And then the third one fought Creati here. The fourth one had a battle with Burnin' here…"

He stopped and his fingers lingered over a currently unmarked portion of the map. "The fifth one fought Sequoia Rose here, but you don't have anything marked there…"

He turned around and Ground Zero was smiling.

"Kid's right," Sonic Boom said. "And if he keeps up the pattern…"

"Then that's where he'll be tonight," Ground Zero said. He punched his palm with his other fist. "And we'll be waiting to kick his ass." He paused for a moment, looking over his sidekicks. "Looks like we got ourselves a damned Villain fanboy. And Loud Kid here figured it out."

He glared at the rest of the table. "…_Why couldn't any of you do that?!_"

The Sidekicks looked distinctly uncomfortable, shifting awkwardly in their chairs. Ground Zero gave Shota's hair an affectionate ruffle. "Don't worry about them. I'll deal with them later. But you, you did good, kid."

_Sora Iida in Flight Fight_

Sora sat on the edge of a rooftop, legs dangling over the side. Carefully, she removed her helmet and placed in on the roof, running a hand through her hair. She unclipped the thermos from her belt and poured coffee into the lid. She took a long drink, feeling the caffeine surging through her system.

"What the hell, kid?" Kestrel asked. The Number Twelve Hero let her white wings spread out behind her. They contrasted sharply with her dark skin and were the same shade as her hair. Which was somewhat curious. The moth-girl, Kocho, from the Sports Festival, had also had hair that matched her wings. Was that a common factor in winged Quirks? "Just the _fumes_ from that are getting my heart racing. What's _in_ that stuff?"

She gave her mentor a little shrug. "Just my usual blend. A combination of several brands noted for their high levels of caffeine as well as a large quantity of sugars. The perfect pick-me-up." It was her mother's recipe, useful for pulling long nights in the lab or otherwise powering past the body's usual limitations and pesky habit of requiring sleep. Who could sleep when there was always so much to be done?

She missed working in the lab. The projects she and Tensei had been working on still required significant amounts of testing and fine tuning and every moment lost was difficult to get again (Theoretical exercises about manipulation of the space-time continuum had suggested they were more likely to break causality and destroy the universe, so they had abandoned that plan.). Wrestling with technical problems, putting things together like three-dimensional puzzles, stretching her mind to its farthest… there were few rushes that could compare. Making something with her own two hands that would help lots of people… it was a good feeling.

But she also admitted that she had learned a lot from Kestrel already. The Razor-Wing Hero was one of the few Heroes who possessed both flight and incredible speed. Her practice drills had been invaluable, especially for high speed turns. Sora would have to work them into her own practice routines and share them with her brother.

Her brother. She missed him too. In all their fifteen years, they had spent precious little time apart. She could not think of a day that had gone by before when she hadn't seen him. They had briefly texted over the course of the Internship so far, but it was not quite the same. The two of them planned to work together in their Pro careers, but even then, they would be called upon to work separately. Of course, with both of them pursuing their romantic relationships, life and love would likewise separate them further.

Speaking of, she also found herself missing Toshi. Her very first boyfriend, possibly her very first serious one too. She liked him very much, his smile, his optimism, the curious but also adorable way he flailed and had difficulty talking when she was physically demonstrative. And, of course, the feeling of his muscles.

Kestrel pinched the bridge of her nose. An unexpected reaction. "Kid," she said, "you're going to give yourself a stroke at this rate. That stuff ought to be characterized as a biological weapon!"

The repeated "Kid" nomenclature was also something of a puzzlement. Kestrel was only eight years older than she was, the daughter of former Pro-Heroes Hawks and Mirko. She'd risen through the ranks rapidly in that time, cracking the Top Twenty within the second year as a full-fledged Hero and holding that position all that time. Some people speculated that having the Deputy Chair of the Hero Commission as her father had helped with that.

She took another drink of her coffee. "Perhaps," she said. "But I am quite used to it. As I am quite tall, you can see the worries of stunting my growth are baseless."

Kestrel laughed at that. "Good joke, kid."

"Joke?"

"Couple of jaywingers up ahead," Kestrel said, pulling her goggles down. "Might just be kids acting up… but we should check it out."

Jaywingers was common police and Hero parlance, referring to people with flight Quirks operating outside of designated flight path zones. While some use of flight Quirks for travel by civilians was permitted, there were still regulations and paths to be followed. There was too much air travel and too many buildings for such to be otherwise. A regrettable, but reasonable, balance between the freedom to exercise one's Quirk and the need for a safe and regulated society.

"You take the one on the right," Kestrel said. "I'll take the one on the left!" She flapped her wings extra hard and took off like a shot.

"On it!" Sora said, giving herself an extra boot from her Jetpack. She would probably need a long drink or two of grape juice to refuel after this excursion. Fortunately, she had designed her Hero uniform with several storage compartments for juice rations, as had her brother.

It was, in fact, a teenager, perhaps a couple of years older than her. A boy, with spikey green hair several shades brighter than Toshi's. He was dressed all in black leather. He didn't have any obvious flight enhancements, such as Kestrel's wings or her Jetpack. Nor were there less obvious means of propulsion, such as manipulating explosions or flame, or even wind. Even their teacher, Skyline, used what was technically a telekinetic body sheath to fly.

Pure flight Quirks, like something out of magna, were quite rare. Fortunately, he kept moving, since her Quirk required forward momentum and did not allow her to hover without significant concentration and modulation of her thrust.

She pressed a button on the side of her helmet, activating the sound amplification speakers built into it. "Attention! You are in violation of multiple ordinances concerning flight path and airspeed! Please land immediately!"

The boy looked over his shoulder, then rotated in midair so he was facing her, while still flying backwards. "You going to make me, robot?" he asked, a self-satisfied smirk crossing his face.

"I have been authorized to use all necessary force to detain you," Sora replied. "But would prefer not to cause undue injury. So I am again requesting that you land."

"Nah," he said. "Don't think so." He made a rude gesture with his hand, then spun in the air again and added a burst of speed. "You can't catch me, Hero!"

"An interesting hypothesis," Sora said, realizing that her height and armor made her age difficult to determine. If he believed her to be a full-fledged Hero, then so be it. "Let us test it."

She spread the fingers on her right hand, sighting along the length of her gauntlet. Then, the brought her middle and ring fingers inward, double-tapping a button built into her palm with a precise application of force. Instantly, a long cable, ending in a loop, launched, covering the distance between herself and the teen. She let it fly and it wrapped around his ankle, letting her pull it tight.

He jerked in midair, flailing for a minute, slowing down to float and look back at her. He made another gesture that was even ruder than the first and tried to remove her capture weapon, but to no avail. His features went slightly paler, but he took off again, trying to fly every which way.

Against his pull, she adjusted the engine pipes of her Jetpack, so that she was pulling counter to him. She had a pretty good idea of his velocity and force now from having watched him, and the math needed to calculate the best degree of counterforce was simple enough. Then, she pressed her palm with her index and middle finger, triggering the retrieval spool for her capture weapon. Against that and against her own thrust, he stood no chance.

His face turned to a snarl as he realized there was no escape and he instead put all his flight power into flying _towards her_. His fist hit against her helmet hard and knocked her back, but the padding inside and metal outside protected her nicely. His first, however, was not so lucky.

"You… bitch!" he snarled, clutching his hand.

"I gave you ample opportunity for surrender," she said. "The time for niceties is now over." Her own fist struck out and clipped him upside the head. His head spun around and his eyes went wide, before he simply collapsed in mid-air. Her capture weapon ensured he did not fall.

"And that's what you get for such salty language!" she said to his unconscious form.

On a near-by roof, Kestel made a call to the local police. They'd be sending someone as quickly as they could to retrieve the two jaywingers. Though Sora doubted that was what they were. Not with how much of a fight both of them had put up. Kestrel's opponent had possessed some kind of force protection Quirk, which he had been able to use for both flight and offense. Several of her feathers were still imbedded in his clothing from the fight.

"Ugh," Kestrel said. "Gonna be a big stack of paperwork for these two."

"A simple apprehension form is not that complicated," Sora told her.

Kestrel shook her hand, then opened her fist, revealing a couple of vials on her palm. "Trigger," she said. "We haven't been seeing a lot of it on the streets. Someone's been buying up the whole supply or even raiding other criminal's shipments. So I _really_ want to know where they got it. We're just lucky they didn't get to use it."

Sora perked up. Her primary skills were in machinery, but her knowledge of chemistry was nothing to sneeze at either. "Perhaps a scientific examination of their sample may yield insight into why they have it or how they came to possess it? Assuming they do not reveal anything voluntarily."

The winged woman grinned. "Knew there was a reason I went with an egghead for an intern."

_Chihiro Kaminari in Plug In, Turn On, Get Shocked_

"Seriously, Aunt Momo," Chihiro said, "this is way too much." They'd spent a lot of the first day of her Internship going over designs for her new costume and now, on the third day, it was finally ready.

Creati was the Number Eleven Hero, having been the Number Ten until Aunt Pony had taken the Number Seven Spot and bumped several people down. Her Agency was large, boasting a number of different Sidekicks with a wide variety of different Quirks. Aunt Momo's managerial skill and intelligence made it one of the smoothest operating Agencies in the entire country. Even if she was her godmother, Chihiro knew she was lucky to be working with her.

She needed the new costume more than she'd been willing to admit. Her original costume had been bare bones, little more than a yellow track suit with lightning bolt striping. She'd looked like something out of an old movie. No Support Gear, no nothing. The closest it'd gotten for doing anything for her was the fact that the jacket had pockets.

And as various events had proven, she really needed more than that. Mom has all the sound systems built into her costume, Dad has his Sharpshooting gear, she just jabbed things with her Extension Cords and electrocuted them. Which led to her letting out too much electricity at once. Which led to her temporarily frying her brain. And there definitely wasn't enough in the costume stipend for this kind of overhaul.

Sure, she recovered faster than Dad did… But it was hardly a good use of her Quirk and it left her vulnerable while it happened.

The new costume was something different entirely. A black bodysuit was combined with white torso armor and boots, along with a small headpiece and visor. Finally, white armor for her arms, along with additional bracers and black circuit lined-gloves completed the ensemble. The bracers primary function was to allow her to plug her Cords into them, so that she could fire her electricity long range. Her output would be monitored by the visor, so she'd know when to back off.

More importantly, however, was the tool belt, containing numerous small devices she could power with her own electricity, like a flashlight, a strong magnet, GPS, a more complicated communications rig, even an electric arc welder. Each could be attached to the bracers or run independently. She'd still have to be careful, of course, but it gave her a chance to actually do something. There were even speakers and a sound system built into the torso armor.

Aunt Momo had worked with Mrs. Hatsume to design the whole thing. They were even talking about a miniature rail gun and some other ports to plug into on the torso armor and boots. But those were apparently still in development.

But this represented something. She was well aware that, while her Quick was reasonably powerful, it really was a poor draw of the limitations of both of her parents' Quirks. Like Mom, she was limited by what she could make contact with, and like Dad, she risked brain breakage with overuse. The worst of both worlds. That anyone supported her dreams of being a Hero at all was a sign of their faith in her, but this…

This would let her make good on that faith.

"You deserve the chance to be the best you can, Chihiro," Aunt Momo said.

"Well, yeah, I guess," she said, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly. "So really, thank you. But all this tech… I can't imagine what this all cost, even with the friends and family discount."

Aunt Momo shrugged. "I always budget generously for research and development. One never knows what might be needed. And I can't make everything myself. Think nothing of it."

Pretty much everyone in Chihiro's immediate circle of friends was, to put it bluntly, well off. Some simply came from money to begin with, like the Iida Twins. And nearly all of them had a least one family member in the top One Hundred Heroes or higher, which came with significant earnings, to say nothing of merchandising. Even Chihiro herself was far from poor. Mom's co-careers as musician and Hero did very well, and Dad, well, even a below 100 Hero still drew a decent amount of cash.

But Aunt Momo and family were in another class entirely. The Yaoyorozu and Todoroki fortunes were significant enough even before Aunt Momo and Uncle Shoto had gotten married. It was small wonder that Izumi thought of ten thousand yen as pocket change.

But she knew Aunt Momo well enough to know that "think nothing of it" translated into "more expensive than most people could comprehend."

Chihiro filed that under things she wasn't going to think about.

"Come then," Aunt Momo said. "Get changed and we'll give it a good shakedown."

"_You say you wanna be a Hero,_

_But you feel like you're a zero,_

_Feels like you lost without a fight,_

_Feels like you can't do anything right,_

_But what you don't know,_

_What you don't see,_

_Is all you gotta do…_

_Is believe!_

_Take a stand,_

_Say "this is for me"_

_You've got the power,_

_To shape your destiny!_

_When your back's to the wall,_

_That's where you'll excel,_

_Tell all those haters_

_They can go straight to hell!_

_You might start out small,_

_Maybe breaking your bones,_

_But someday you'll be the greatest,_

_That anyone's ever known!_

_You say you wanna be a Hero,_

_But you feel like you're a zero,_

_Feels like you lost without a fight,_

_Feels like you can't do anything right,_

_But what you don't know,_

_What you don't see,_

_Is all you gotta do…_

_Is believe!"_

Chihiro retracted her Cords, powering down the speakers that had been built into her costume. They were mostly supposed to be used for voice projection, but she could loop her phone into it too. The music snapped off immediately. She wasn't as good of a singer as Mom was, but she could carry a tune and harmonize well enough (She could also play the ukulele, but that was neither here nor there).

"Believe" was the best-selling song Mom had even written. It was corny as hell, the kind of commercial Pop that she really hated. She'd only written it a dare with Dad on whether or not she could get one of the schlockiest songs to sell. She'd expected that no one would want to play it, ever.

So of course it had gone to number one and stayed there for the better part of a year. It was still being played, more than a decade later. Mom used to say it had paid for their current house. And yet she still regretted it.

Chihiro, on the other hand, agreed with Dad. It was a _great_ song.

"I always did like that one," Aunt Momo said. She nodded smartly. "I'd say that confirms all of your equipment is working well."

Chihiro let out a cheer. "I'll say! I still can't thank you enough, Aunt Momo. I don't know how I can ever repay you."

"I told you," she replied, "think nothing of it. But still… perhaps we can discuss this over tea?"

Chihiro really wasn't much of a tea drinker, but when your godmother dropped a small fortune on you in new gear, you had tea when she said you should have tea.

Her private office was spacious and expensively decorated, looking more like a study in a mansion (And Chihiro had been in the Todoroki-Yaoyorozu mansion, so she could confirm this) than anything else.

"So," Aunt Momo said, after taking a sip of her tea. "I truly hate to do this, but as a mother… I must ask. Tell me about Izumi."

"What?" Chihiro asked, taken by surprise.

"You're one of her closest friends," Aunt Mono went on. "And, as a mother, I worry. She tells us that everything is all right, and I saw her do quite well at the Sports Festival, but you see her every day."

She put her teacup down and folded her hands. "So please, Chihiro, tell me how is she doing?"

"She's fine, Aunt Momo," Chihiro assured her. She understood, of course, why Aunt Momo might worry. Izumi's health had had its ups and downs over the years, but it had largely stabilized over the last few.

Hero training was intense and physically demanding. It required incredibly physical shape and pushed even physical paragons like Midoriya or Shoji to their limits. Her own Quirk was less reliant on physicality, but Chihiro was often left exhausted by it as well.

She'd often seen Izumi being helped back to the locker room by Kirishima-Bakugo, who'd shot daggers at anyone else who came close, ratcheting back the venom only when Izumi made her. Chihiro didn't understand the friendship between the two of them at all… but she herself was friends with both Izumi and Mika, two people who couldn't be less alike, and so wasn't in much position to judge. Mika also insisted there was something more going on there, but was committed to being tight-lipped about it. Though if there was, something there had definitely changed since school started…

"She's good," Chihiro said. "Gives it everything she's got. Plenty of friends. Helps some of the rest of us study. Hasn't collapsed since the first week, unless you count the Sports Festival, and frankly, anything than can make Kirishima-Bakugo collapse would take out anything short of an elephant."

She frowned, feeling very uncomfortable with the question. She knew Izumi questioned every day whether she was good enough to be in the Hero Course, if any given day was going to be the day her body let her down, let _someone else_ down. And she also knew she tried harder than _anyone_ to keep up and go beyond. Huh. That actually sounded pretty familiar…

"And I'm sorry," she added, "but even if she wasn't… I'm not gonna rat her out. That's Izumi's business, not mine to blab. But I'm not worried about her, for what it's worth."

Aunt Momo's mouth opened in protest, then closed again. Finally, after regaining her composure, she spoke. "Thank you," she said. "For your honesty… and your reassurances. I wonder sometimes, if I worry too much."

Chihiro shrugged. "You're a mom. Kind of your job. Pretty sure Mom's always worried I'm going to shock my brains out."

That got a smile from Aunt Momo. "She may have confessed that occasionally. Though speaking of your mother, she did ask that I talk to you about your grades…"

The ringing desk phone interrupted any other questions. Talk about saved by the bell! Aunt Momo saw the caller ID and answered it. "Denki," she said, switching it to speaker phone. Worry tinged her voice now. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

That was weird. Why would Dad be calling? Izumi was interning with him, though…

"Oh, ah, hey, Momo," Dad said. "So, ah, we may have, ah, screwed up. Izumi knows about Plague."

Aunt Momo went pale at that.

Who or what was Plague?


	54. Chapter 49: Another Three Stories

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter Forty-Nine: Another Three Stories**

_Kenta Sato in Working Lunch_

"Oh, who's that?"

The sound of Nejire Amajiki's voice made Kenta jump. He'd just closed his phone after checking his notifications—Takuma had somehow managed to upload a half dozen videos in three days and Kimiko kept texting him about how she was going crazy studying and needed him to make her work harder. While he'd also gotten a few hits on the video he'd uploaded at the start of his Internship, he was actually trying to take it seriously. No eating stuff for clicks this week. Plenty of time for that later (He wasn't _completely_ immune to allure of fame). Assuming of course that Tokoyami's dad didn't kill Takuma for some of the stuff he was putting up online. Kenta swore he was half of Kimiko's impulse control and nearly all of Takuma's sometimes.

But when he'd closed his phone, it had shown his lock screen, with a picture of himself, Takuma, and Kimiko: himself on the left, Kimiko on the right, Takuma with his arms around both of them. He remembered the day they'd taken it, right after they'd gotten their UA acceptance letters. They all looked so proud (though Kimiko had claimed that she'd blinked). Takuma had his usual "this is a good idea, trust me" grin and he could tell Kimiko was smiling (he always could). But if you really looked closely at him, though, you could see the smile didn't entirely reach his eyes. He'd been too worried then, about whether or not his Quirk was good enough for Hero work. Even now, he was still pretty sure that he'd come in dead last in the Entrance Exam.

And yet here he was, interning with a Top-Ten Hero: Suneater (He was _very_ sure there was some backroom dealing going on, even if they did both have eating-related Quirks). That also meant working with his wife, who made Kimiko look positively sedate. He wasn't sure how it was possible for one human being to be that perky or ask that many questions. At least, not anyone who wasn't Shota Shinso.

She'd apparently gotten a look at his lock screen. "Just me and my friends," he said. His best friends, really. As far back as he could remember, it had always been the three of them. Of course, Takuma was spending a lot of time with Tensei these days, but given how much time Tensei spent in the lab with his sister, it still left plenty of time for the three of them. Things changed in any friendship or relationship, of course, but he wasn't worried. They'd been together too long for that.

He showed his lock screen to her again and Nejire peered at the picture. "She's cute!" she said, speaking of Kimiko. "Is she your girlfriend?"

Kenta nearly dropped his phone. How could she think…? Why would she…? He didn't… Did he…? "What? Kimmie's not…"

"Are you suuuuuure?" she asked. "Do you have a girlfriend already? Or a boyfriend? Or a special friend of some kind?"

Kenta started backing away. Maybe he could run? This really wasn't a conversation he wanted to be having. No point to it. There was no way Kimiko thought about him like that anyway.

"Nejire, you're scaring him." He hadn't heard Suneater's arrival, but Kenta was very grateful for it.

"I'm just asking some questions, Tamaki!"

Kenta really didn't understand how someone as reserved and shy as Suneater had married someone like Nejire-Chan. Even now, he flinched slightly at her exuberance.

"Can it wait?" he asked. "We've got a call. I'll take Sato here and investigate. You stay on standby."

Just so long as it didn't end like last time, where the paparazzi had splashed a photo of them with a caption implying Nejire-Chan was interested in him. He could have gone his whole life without seeing it, but Kimiko had just _had_ to share it with him and Takuma.

He was never going to live it down. At least he was pretty sure Suneater and Nejire-Chan hadn't seen it. Or were polite enough not to mention it.

Things went _gloop_. The Villain they'd been dispatched to stop had a Quirk which let him produce vast quantities of some kind of strange, vaguely greenish colored… _gunk_. There wasn't any better word for it. It wasn't a solid, not really a liquid, and it was sticky as hell. Kenta and Suneater were already buried up to their necks in it, along with most of the street.

The Villain somehow seemed capable of walking on top of the gunk he'd created. How that worked, Kenta didn't know. He was tall and skinny, with hair the same color was the gunk. No flashy costume, he just wore jeans and a t-shirt, along with a black trench coat.

"Imagine me, Yuck-Raker, taking down a Top Ten Hero!" he laughed. "I thought filling the streets with my gunk was performance enough, but winning a fight like this?" He pulled a cellphone from his coat pocket and snapped a few selfies with Kenta and Suneater in the background. "My hit count's going to skyrocket!"

Great. He was one of _those_. The kind of guy who gave Viewtube bloggers like Kenta and his friends a bad name. A Villaintuber. Someone who used their Quirk in villainous ways just for the hit count. A trend that had started ages ago, but had picked back up in the last few years.

"Chomp," Suneater said, using Kenta's Hero name. "I can't morph anything to break loose. Can you move at all?"

Kenta tried to move his arms and legs and struggled to move them at all. Not good. Only his neck and head were free. He could move that pretty good, but… _Oh_. "I think I can get us out," he said. The Yuck-Raker was still getting away, but taking his time with it, taking selfies, occasionally spraying more gunk.

This was gonna suck.

He lowered his head and took a _big_ bite of the gunk. It tasted _awful._ Kenta's sense of taste was, by necessity, a little wonky. He enjoyed the taste of most metals, especially iron and steel and minerals like rocks were usually decent. Wood tended to be a little dry and rubber was way too chewy. And plastics were a whole mixed bag. He'd even eaten a battery once, on a dare. It had turned out to be a good thing his ability to eat anything meant his mouth and tongue were pretty much indestructible and that he couldn't be poisoned. Battery acid would have been a hell of a thing otherwise.

This gunk? Absolutely the worst thing he had _ever_ eaten. And that included the time Takuma had dared him to eat his dirty socks and then filmed it. It was slimy and sticky, like old gelatin. Kenta had eaten actual dirt before and this made him want to throw up. But he powered through it, taking bigger and bigger bites, until his arms and upper body were free. That gave him the leverage to start eating Suneater free.

It didn't take long. And fortunately, the Yuck-Raker was still taking selfies. This time, Suneater launched a pair of tenacles at him, wrapping him up. Yuck-Raker tried to fire more gunk at them, but Kenta got in the way, opening his mouth wide and catching it in his mouth. _So gross_.

After that, Suneater had the Villain wrapped up and that pretty much took the fight out of him.

"Good work," Suneater told him. And for a moment, Kenta did feel a surge of pride. Maybe some of the others could have done something—Todoriki probably could have frozen her way out and he was pretty sure Tokoyami's Frog-Shadow wouldn't have gotten stuck—but he was just as sure that several of them would have been just as stuck as they'd been.

Maybe he Quirk had its advantages after all. Situations like this were probably few and far between, but he'd take the win today.

His stomach rumbling, Kenta let out of a long and loud burp. Suneater gave him an incredulous look. "Uh, excuse me," he muttered, weakly. He was going to need a mountain of antacids.

And then maybe he'd called Kimmie.

He was feeling lucky.

_Asuka Tokoyami in The Sound of Silence_

Asuka's Internship with Mob-Goblin (She was a dark-skinned woman with pointed ears, whose Quirk could summon up to a half-dozen small goblin like creatures under her control.) had been quite ordinary so far. A few small-time Villains stopped, a lot of training, and even more meditation. And while that might have worked for communing with _her_ creations, it hadn't done nearly as well for Asuka. Frog-Shadow liked to hum show-tunes during meditation.

Or rather, it had been ordinary until now. They'd been chasing a Villain with some kind of powerful energy-blast Quirk. They'd both launched their familiars at her, only for the Villain to unleash a burst of power that had shattered windows, set off car alarms, knocked them both off their feet, and ripped Frog-Shadow, who was at virtual ground zero, to pieces.

There was a wave of pain unlike anything she'd ever known and then she screamed. And screamed and screamed and screamed until her throat was raw. Her world went white and even the sound of her screaming faded away into nothingness.

She became aware of being shoved back into consciousness by Mob-Goblin shaking her. Her goblins had been wiped out too, but they weren't as connected to her as Frog-Shadow was to Asuka. "Tokoyami!" she said. "Tokoyami! Speak to me…!"

Her vision cleared and Asuka found herself staring into Mob-Golbin's face. She'd wound up on the ground, somehow. The other woman's features were marred with worry. "I…" Asuka began, her voice weak from screaming. "What… what happened?"

"Bad guy got away," Mob-Goblin said. "Took us both down. Knocked out all of my goblins and our girl. You okay?"

Was she? Asuka took a moment to take stock of herself. She appeared uninjured, at least, other than some soreness from her throat from screaming. As for Frog-Shadow…

No. It wasn't possible. But it was quiet. Too quiet…

_If you're pretending to ignore me,_ Asuka thought, _your timing is quiet terrible_.

Nothing.

_Frog-Shaow? __**Frog-Shadow**__? Are you there? __**Speak to me!**_

She always felt a certain degree of warmth when Frog-Shadow took refuge in her body. She could always feel the glowing pulse of her familiar within her. There was always the sense that she was not alone, a comforting reminder of just how close they were. But now…

"I," she mumbled, "I can't hear her. _She's gone_!"

As far back as Asuka could remember, she'd never been alone.

Oh, certainly, there was a window from when she was born (not hatched, as some people might have thought) to when her Quirk manifested shortly before her third birthday, where, while she might have been in another room, there were always adults at most a few feet away. But after Frog-Shadow appeared, there had always been another voice, another comforting presence in her life. Whether that voice was only in her head, with a warm glow inside her body, or whether that voice was external, flitting about with a life of its own and embarrassing her, it had come to be one of the defining features of her life.

Both she and her father had been endlessly studied by and interviewed by Quirk researchers and counselors over the years. They'd all ultimately thrown up their hands in frustration, unable to fully understand how their Quirks and the symbiotic relationship they shared with their familiars worked. While the number of people possessing Quirks that could create semi-independent beings had risen over the last decades, they still made up less than one percent of the kinds of Quirks out in the world.

All anyone knew was that in their cases, defining what was "alive" and what was not when it came to their Quirks was all but impossible. They were two and they were one.

Which made the silence all the more deafening.

According to doctor that Mob-Goblin had called, there was nothing wrong with her Quirk factors. But with how poorly understood living Quirks like Frog-Shadow were, there was no telling how long it might take her to return. Mob-Goblin had suggested that it might be psychological, that Frog-Shadow was simply within her and too afraid to come out.

Which was why she was trying meditation again.

_She remembers playing in the park, Father watching from the bench, Dark Shadow reading the paper over his shoulder and interjecting his opinion of world news, whether it's wanted or not._

_She's not quite three years old, the feathers on her head soft and downy, more fluff than feather. _

_Asuka feels strange all of a sudden, warm. She thinks she's just been playing too hard when, with a slight pop and a lime-green flash of light, a tadpole shaped ball of light is floating next to her, tethered to her midsection by a glowing cord._

"_**Hi!"**__ the tadpole says. It's a girl, somehow she knows that._

_Asuka's eyes go wide. She stares at it for several long seconds. Finally, she lets out a shrill scream, starts running as fast as her little legs can carry her. "DADDYYYYYYYYYY!"_

_She runs to her father, who's already leapt up from the bench in a panic, Dark Shadow flying around him like an angry bird of prey. It's only as she gets closer than she noticed the tadpole still following her, and she grabs hold of her father's leg, crying._

"_It won't stop following meeeeee!"_

"_**Hiiiiii,"**__ the light thing trills. She locks eyes with Dark Shadow, then seems to glow a little brighter with excitement Asuka can feel. __**"Daddy!"**_

"_**What?"**_ _Dark Shadow gasps, surprised. He gives her father a confused, guilty look. __**"I'm not… I mean, maybe? Am I? It's confusing!"**_

_Her father looks over the both of them, instantly assessing the situation. Carefully, he peels her from his leg and bends down next to him. The tadpole keeps trying to hug Dark Shadow, darting this way and that to try and catch him, while Dark Shadow dodges out of the way. _

"_Little Bird," her father says, putting one hand on her shoulder, "I need you to take a deep breath and listen to me. Can you do that?"_

_Asuka takes a deep breath, trying to still her tears. "Uh-huh…" She can't help but watch the tadpole now, she's managed to corner Dark Shadow and is snuggling up against him while he looks on helplessly._

"_**Fumi! Help!"**_

_But her father ignores Dark Shadow to focus on her. "Asuka," he says, looking to the light thing, then back to her, "this is your Quirk. It may seem scary, but there must be light for there to be shadows, and every shadow needs the light. This is your light and your shadow. Do you understand?"_

_She shakes her head. Sometimes, her father talks too funny for her to understand. But she's not crying anymore._

_Her father pauses for a moment, thinking. Then, "You know how Dark Shadow is Daddy's friend?"_

_This, she understands. She nods. "Uh-huh."_

"_I think this little one is meant to be yours."_

_He stands up and turns to Dark Shadow and the tadpole. She's settled down in Dark Shadow's arms now. "May I?" he asks. Dark Shadow nods and passes the thing to him._

_Carefully, her father bends down again, holding the light thing in the crook of one arm. He runs a hand along the tether connecting it to her. "See? Just like me and Dark Shadow."_

_The tadpole gazes up at them, her eyes wide. "Do you have a name, little one?" her father asks._

_She gives them a confused look. __**"I don't know!" **__She seems almost proud of this._

"_Maybe you'd like to her give a name, Asuka?"_

_Asuka looks over the little tadpole, noticing how innocent it seems now. It's just a kid, like her. "She's a tadpole… so she's a frog! Like Mommy! So… Frog-Shadow!"_

"_**Ooooh! I like that! I like that!" **__the newly named Frog-Shadow claps her flippers together happily._

"_It's a big responsibility," her father says. "Mommy's going to have a new baby soon, and now this little one is here too. You're going to be a big sister twice over. Can you be a good big sister, to both of them?"_

_Asuka nods. "I can! I will! I will, Daddy! I promise!"_

"_**Say, Fumi,"**__ Dark Shadow says, __**"do you think this is because of the time we…"**_

"_SILENCE!"_

Since then, Frog-Shadow had been her constant companion, slowly growing from a tiny tadpole to a powerful frog-shaped light being. And definitely into a being with a mind of her own. The number of times Frog-Shadow had appeared of her own volition, to embarrass her or just to insert her own thoughts on things… Asuka wasn't sure whether or not having all that out in the open was better than having to just deal with Frog-Shadow's voice in her head.

But right now, she missed it more than she had ever missed anything in the world. It was as though a piece of herself had been cut out.

Thoughts of her promise returned to her. Had she been a good "big sister?" She often yelled at and argued with Frog-Shadow, tried to shame her into behaving properly. Maybe she should have been more understanding? Maybe she shouldn't have tried so hard to make her fit her idea of good behavior?

"Please," Asuka said softly, "please, come back."

She felt a warmth growing in her middle, and with a pop, Frog-Shadow appeared! She looked weak, her glow very dim, barely floating, but she was back.

"_**Hiiii," **_she said weakly.

Asuka let out an unintelligible squeal and pulled Frog-Shadow to her tightly. "Never, never worry me like that again, you!"

"_**Hey! Hey! I just took a break, okay! No need to get so mushy! But… okay, if you insist…"**_

"Love you, little sister," Asuka said.

"_**Love you too**__.__**"**_

_Tensei Iida in a Flight in the Limelight_

Tensei fired his Jetpack, doing math in his head rapidly. If he let the falling woman's velocity equal _x_ and his owns speed equal _y _and the distance between them equal _z_, then he needed achieve sufficient speed to match hers and then reduce it so she would not become a greasy, crimson smear on his armor if he tried to catch her.

He applied another burst of speed, then immediately cut his forward acceleration, just in time to catch her in his arms. Her screams stopped, suddenly surprised at no longer falling.

"I'm… I'm not dead?"

"Please remain calm," he said, trying to be reassuring. Their teachers and his father had always insisted that reassuring the civilians was just as important as the physical rescue itself. "This may be somewhat jarring."

Carefully, he activated his Quirk again, slow bursts from his Jetpack to continue slowing them down, before shifting to a steadily decreasing stream of thrust to bring them down to the ground.

On the ground, he was met by the Hero he was interning with, the gold and black-armored Veloci-Queen. She was able to generate a frictionless field around her body, which combined with the disks built into her Hero suit, let her move at incredible speed. The perfect fusion of science and speed, which Tensei respected. She had a highly credible record as well, which he also respected. The only blemish, it if could be called such, was her insistence that he needed to "lighten up."

Of course, his boyfriend (He admitted, he truly did love thinking that word, even if they had only been able to exchange a few texts since the start of the Internship) occasionally said the same thing.

The fact that a mid-air rescue was how he had gotten his boyfriend in the first place was not lost on him.

"Good work, Jet-Blue," Veloci-Queen said. "You all right, Miss?"

The woman Tensei had caught—he vaguely recognized her from some Instaglam pictures Takuma had shown him—climbed out of his arms. Paramedics were waiting for her. "I'm fine," she said. "Thanks to this guy!"

She was blonde, with green eyes with vertical slits. Now that he looked at her more closely, he could see that she has small scale patterns on various spots on her body. Tensei was a poor judge of female attractiveness, but if this woman—Or was it girl? He now realized she was not much older than him.—was an Instaglam content producer, she was likely attractive by those who found women attractive.

"So what caused you to fall like that?" Veloci-Queen asked. Tensei knew she had little patience for so-called "internet celebrities." She had found him watching one of Takuma's videos during a lunch break and made some unflattering remarks about the kinds of people who made such videos. He regretted not speaking up more in his boyfriend's defense, but he also felt obligated to respect his mentor.

"Oh, I was up on the roof, trying to get the perfect picture! The skyline is to die for!"

Veloci-Queen pinched the bridge of her nose. "Of all the…! Just be careful in the future. You won't always have my Intern to catch you."

"Speaking of your intern," the woman said, "I haven't said thank you! Can you take the helmet off? I want to see the face of the guy who saved me!"

Tensei looked over to Veloci-Queen, who shrugged. He reached up and snapped the seals on his helmet, lifting it off his head and holding it in the crook of his arm.

Before he could blink, the woman leaned in and placed a kiss on his cheek, snapping pictures of the whole thing with her phone.

What was the word that Takuma had used to describe when something spread through social media faster than one could track? Ah, yes… _viral_. He hadn't quite understood it before, but in the last few hours, Tensei had come to see that the term was very apt. Like a virus, it first infected one social media platform and then another, spreading to various digital news outlets faster than he could blink.

_Instaglam Star Akebono_ _Hebi Kisses Rescuer and U.A. Student Tensei Iida – Is Romance On the Horizon?_

There were so many inaccuracies with that he did not know where to begin! One, he was already in an established relationship! Two, romances resulting from rescues were highly inappropriate! Three, one kiss did not a relationship make and it very poor journalism to assume as such! And, of course, four, he was gay!

At least his boyfriend was being understanding.

**Takuma Sero: You met Ake? Super jealous. She's got, like, a bajillion followers!**

**That is entirely beside the point!**

**Why are you not scandalized by these accusations of disloyalty?**

**Takuma Sero: Babe. I know you're gay. I'm not exactly worried here.**

**Nevertheless, this is all highly inappropriate!**

**Takuma Sero: First time going viral?**

**Takuma Sero: This can't be your first time being in the news, Tensei.**

**Takuma Sero: Your family's super-famous. **

**Takuma Sero: Mom, Dad, Uncle, like, everybody.**

**Yes, but that has only been in association with my more renown family members!**

**And furthermore, this has nothing to do with my own merits!**

**This is merely her using me for…**

**What is the word I am looking for here?**

**Takuma Sero: For clicks?**

**Yes!**

**This is her using me for clicks!**

**Takuma Sero: Didn't your mom use your dad as an advertisement **

**the first time they met?**

**Yes, but that is entirely beside the point!**

**Takuma Sero: Babe. Relax. Ake's a bigger attention whore than me.**

**Takuma Sero: By this time tomorrow, she'll be going viral for something else.**

**Takuma Sero: And you'll be yesterday's news.**

**Takuma Sero: Except to me.**

**You are much wiser in the ways of the social media than me.**

**I shall defer to your expertise in the matter.**

**Takuma Sero: Though if you did want to go**

**viral for kissing someone**

**Takuma Sero: I could always stream it**

**Takuma: Sero: Joking! **

**I should hope so!**

**Though I would not object to the non-streaming part of that.**

**Takuma Sero: Why, Mister Iida!**

**Takuma Sero: Did you just say you wanted to kiss me?**

**Takuma Sero: I thought your sister was the expressive one!**

**I am fully capable of expressing my own desires!**

**And please do not discuss my sister.**

**I have no wish to think about whatever she and Toshi may get up to.**

Tensei hoped Takuma was right. At the very least, he was grateful that his father was not active or interested in social media. The last thing he needed was more reminders about upholding the Iida family name. That had been impressed upon him and his sister often enough. Father simply wanted what was best, but even Tensei could admit, his line of thinking was somewhat rigid.

Of course, Aunt Fuyumi was a significant follower of gossip columns and the like. The odds that she might see this, pass it on to Uncle Tensei, who would then pass it on to Father were not insignificant.

More importantly, though, he was even more grateful his sister seemed not to have noticed this. She would never have let him hear the end of it if she did.

His phone buzzed.

**Sora**: **You now also have a girlfriend? You really must allow me to better vet your romantic entanglements, Little Brother!**

Tensei just sighed. Some things, it seemed, never changed.


	55. Chapter 50: Things Go Beyond

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter Fifty: Things Go Beyond**

Koharu could still not believe the direction her life had taken. She'd gone into the Sports Festival with the hope that she could impress the teachers enough to make it into the Hero Course for the second year. She never would have expected to have gotten Third Place. And she definitely never would have expected that, as a General Education student, even one who made Third Place, that she could be starting in the Hero Course as early as _next term_. And she'd never have believed that she'd be Interning with _Deku_, and also with _the Voice_, Hitoshi Shinso, golden boy of the General Education department.

Now, the Internship was nearly over. She'd learned a lot from everyone, including from her future comrades in the Hero Course, Isamu Haimawari and Toshinori Midoriya. The former was working with Deku as well, but like her, he had no Hero legacy of her own. It made her feel a little less alone in all this. Midoriya, on the other hand, was Deku's son, and working with Lemillion, who, along with Glamour and Deku's main Sidekick, the Shield, had also been participating in their mentorships. With so much attention being paid to them, she couldn't help but feel a little unworthy of it all.

It just meant she'd have to work that much harder to prove herself.

She stepped out of the locker room after having changed into another gym uniform (Checking on her costume was the first step when she got back to UA.), when she heard a voice calling her name. Deku and Lemillion were supposed to be going on patrol together today and taking the three of them with them. Sure, since she wasn't in the Hero Course yet, she hadn't been allowed to do any fighting during any of those patrols, but she could do aerial recon, and the off-patrol training regime had more than made up for it.

"Ah, Kocho! There you are!"

She looked up to see Lemillion coming her way. "Oh, Mister Togata, sir," she said. "I'm not late, am I?"

He shook his head. "Oh, no, I just wanted to talk to you for a minute. And you don't have to call me Mister Togata. Lemillion's fine. Or even Mirio if you want. I'm easy."

"I don't think you realize how much I cannot possibly do that. What's up?"

"Well, you see, I've got a son about your age, David, he's in the Support Course. He'd probably kill me if he knew I was talking about this, but, well, he had a break-up with his last girlfriend, and…"

Okay, she definitely wasn't expecting that. Koharu quickly held up both hands. "Sorry, Mister Togata. Lesbian." Not that she'd been doing much thinking in that regard. All her focus had been on the Sports Festival. And now it was all on getting herself up to Hero Course standard.

He didn't miss a beat. "Oh, okay! You're probably a little young for my daughter, though. And I'm pretty sure she's already sweet on someone, even if she won't tell me…"

What was happening? Pro-Heroes had seemed so… distant before, even the ones who seemed personable on camera. Who knew they were as human and strange as everyone else?

This was officially the best week of Isamu's life, and that was counting the fact that he'd won the Sports Festival the previous week. Working with the Number One Hero—_Deku!_—had been a dream he'd never have thought possible. He'd trained harder than he ever had before and more than a few small children had actually recognized him while they were on patrol. Sure, he'd been overshadowed by Deku in that regard, but who wouldn't have been?

He'd even gotten to take down an actual _Villain_. Nothing fancy, just some guy with a Grasshopper Quirk turned purse snatcher, but Deku'd actually let him do the takedown. He'd been able to anticipate where the guy was going to jump, use his own Quirk to repel himself into the air, then come down and knock him right off his feet.

Maybe it wasn't taking down the League of Villains or anything, but it was pretty good all the same.

Their patrol must have been quite the sight to the people down below. Lemillion parkour-ing from rooftop to rooftop, Midoriya doing his gravity-jumps to do the same thing, Deku actually flying, Kocho flying along with her wings, and him, doing his Slide and Glide, occasionally adding an extra-burst to launch himself to the next roof. But, as Deku said, the public visibility was good. It made people feel safe, watched out for, and let the Villains know they were out there.

Deku landed on the edge of the next rooftop and waited for the rest of them to join him, before breaking into a grin. Isamu had seen him interviewed countless times and knew he smiled easily, but seeing it in person was something else entirely. It was entirely genuine, no pretention about it. He'd seen the man gush easily, about his friends, about his family (especially about his son), even about the progress he and Kocho were making.

But he'd also seen him turn serious in a heartbeat. Earlier in the week, when a Villain with a strength-enhancing Quirk had appeared, trying to knock down a tower, Deku had given him a chance to surrender, not wanting to fight if he didn't have to. When the Villain had retaliated, Deku had been absolutely swift in his response, first binding him with black coils of energy, then using a single Detroit Smash to knock him out. The man had been threatening innocent people. Isamu understood the need for swift action there.

And just as immediately, Deku had returned to grinning, assuring everyone that everything was okay. And to everyone watching, it was.

_That_ was the kind of Hero that Isamu wanted to be.

"Okay," Deku said, "we're here. I took patrol to this part of the city for a very important reason." Whatever it was, he seemed excited. Practically vibrating, even. Isamu didn't have a lot of personal experience to form a baseline of Deku's behavior, but this typically seemed to accompany talking about another Hero or a Quirk.

"Wait," Midoriya said. He rubbed his chin with his hand. "It's Saturday, right? So that means…"

Kocho looked at him with a confused expression. Isamu shook his head, because he had no idea what was going on either.

"That's right!" Deku said. He gave his white cape a dramatic flick and pointed to the street below. A storefront with a multicolored awning was down below, part of a fairly expansive building. "It's the grand opening of Herotopia Ice Cream! One hundred and fifty Pro Hero themed ice cream treats!"

Lemillion let out a laugh at that. "Oh, man, I can't believe I forgot! I bet I'm delicious!"

It was, fortunately, early in the morning, so most people weren't out for ice cream yet. In fact, it made them the first customers of the day. Despite the owner's protests, Dad had insisted on paying, and then they'd all occupied a back booth. Toshi, like Dad, had gotten Dekulicious ice cream, which was a swirl of green, red, black, and white. He wasn't entirely sure what each of those flavors was supposed to be, but it all combined to be pretty good.

Uncle Mirio had gotten his own flavor, Lemonillion. "Not a huge lemon fan," he admitted, "but their hearts are in the right place. And I like the pun!"

"If they want to start marketing this for more retail spots, I am definitely talking my dad into stocking it," Haimawari said. He'd gotten a cone of Red Cherry Riot.

"Definitely amazing," Kocho said, between sips of her Pinky Acid Shake. Toshi'd been a little worried that she wouldn't be able to find anything on the menu, but he should have known Dad wouldn't have brought them there if that was the case. "Appreciate it, Mister Midoriya."

Dad just grinned at that. "I keep telling you, you don't have to call me that."

Kocho shrugged. "Sorry. Can't really turn off the politeness. Mom would track me down and smack me."

Haimawari laughed at that. "My mom's the same way. Of course, I think she just likes smacking things. Does that to Dad often enough. Kind of like Ojiro actually."

"She did try to do that to Sero back at the festival," Kocho agreed. "Is that normal?"

"Aaah, yeah, kinda," Toshi admitted. "As far back as I can remember, anyway."

Ojiro did have a tendency to strike out when she felt frustrated, usually at Sero or Sato, but she'd never done them any serious harm. She was just an expressive person. Which, Toshi supposed, was a thing you had to do when you were invisible.

"So," Dad asked Kocho, "did they give you any idea which of the Hero Courses they're going to put you in?"

The moth-girl shook her head, a movement exaggerated by her antennae. "No clue," she said. "And I'm technically not in yet. Still have to finish this semester, pass my exam. And I still don't know what other criteria they're using to determine if I get in."

She extended her proboscis and slurped up some of her shake before speaking again. "Though I'm guessing you or Mister Shinso or both are giving them some kind of report card beyond whatever usual Intern evaluations get done."

That got a laugh out of Uncle Mirio. "Oh, she's smart."

Dad laughed too. "Pretty standard Intern review form, actually" he said. "Though Nezu and Aizawa did ask more in-depth feedback than usual."

Wait… if Mister Aizawa was asking for feedback, then that meant... "Dad?" Toshi asked.

Dad's eyes went wide. "I talked about Aizawa, didn't I?" He started shaking in his seat. "Oh no, oh no, oh no, he's gonna kill me!"

"See?" Haimawari said, pointing at Dad. "See? This is why I know he's scary! Even Deku's afraid of him!"

Toshi did have to admit that their teacher could be scary and was super serious even at the best of times, but he was also an incredible teacher who clearly cared a lot for them. Dad, Mom, all his parents' friends spoke highly and kindly of him. Toshi even had plenty of childhood memories of him, when Grandpa Might would bring him to UA with him.

On the other hand, there was good news to be had! "Looks like you're going to be classmates with us then!" he said. "That's awesome!"

Haimawari nodded his agreement. "You were really great in the Sports Festival," he said. "Plus, you know, be nice to have somebody else around who isn't part of the shared memory."

She gave him a curious look. "Shared memory?"

"Except for Haimawari," Toshi explained, "all of the rest of us grew up knowing each other." Some better than others, based upon various friendship clusters between the adults, but there weren't any strangers between them. Well, no stranger than Mineta anyway. "Still can't believe they put all of us in the same class."

All the Class A kids in one class, a lot of Class B kids in another, and all kids who didn't have parents from either in Class C. Weird when he thought about it. Toshi wondered for a moment just who had planned that out.

"Not my idea," Dad said. "But it worked out well. Look at all the teamwork you guys pulled off!"

"So," Kocho said, "that's the two of you, and I already met Sero, Ojiro, and Sato back at the Festival, and Mineta, from the Festival is in your class?"

Haimawari gulped. Mineta did seem to like unnerving him. She seemed to have slacked off some since she'd met Izumi's friend Shinji though. "Yeah."

"Hooo-boy."

"She's really… not… that… bad…" Toshi said. They weren't close, but the Minetas were still family friends. "She's an acquired taste," he tried.

"But I think you'll fit in great," Haimawari added. "And I'm not just saying that because it means I'm not the new guy anymore."

"We were all the new guy at one point or another," Dad said. "You guys all have the advantage, growing up together. _My_ class had never met before. It's going to make you even better Heroes than we ever were."

"Maybe," Haimawari said. "But our first year couldn't possibly be as exciting as yours…"

He should never have said that, Isamu would later reflect. Because a short time later, it got worse. _Much worse_.

They'd left the ice cream shop and had been patrolling another section of the city when they heard it. A low whistle, growing steadily louder, like something falling from the sky. People stopped where they were, looking up and for the source of the sound.

"What is that?" Lemillion asked, shielding his eyes against the sun, looking up.

Deku pointed to something, a huge black spot that was growing steadily bigger. "Something's falling…" he said. He squinted, trying to determine what it was. "Can't make it out. But I'm betting it's going to make a hell of a crater if it hits."

"Step back, everyone," Deku said. He took a couple steps back, then ran forward, tensed his legs, then launched into the sky. The force of the acceleration made Isamu's hair flutter and made Lemillion's cape snap back.

They watched for a moment as Deku rose to meet whatever it was. As he closed in on it though, the thing lashed out! Isamu let out a gasp as he watched Deku fall from the sky. Next to him, he heard Kocho scream and Toshi let out an anguished cry. He was pretty sure he screamed too, but he too was stunned by what he'd seen. What could possibly have been powerful enough to do that…?

He could only watch, helplessly, as Deku fell, hitting the ground hard enough to make the same kind of crater he'd worried about. He bounced twice, then pulled himself to a sitting position, holding his head. "Haven't been hit that hard since…" he muttered.

"Dad!" Midoriya cried out, at his father's side in an instant.

Deku looked up, seeing that whatever had hit him, it was still coming. "Toshi… get behind me."

And finally, whatever it was hit the ground like a missile. The impact cracked the pavement, sending up a cloud of dust. When it cleared…

The creature was massive, much bigger than Deku or Lemillion, maybe even larger than All Might in his prime. It had dead, pale grey skin, bulging muscles, a face twisted into some kind of beak. Worst of all, its brain was exposed, the top of its head completely gone.

It let out a feral roar, like some kind of ancient dinosaur.

Deku flung Midoriya towards them, then moved to attack the creature in an instant, flinging himself into the air. From his hands, black tendrils of power entangled the creature, lifting it into the air, slamming it into the ground again and again. Each time it hit the ground, the creature would let out another roar. But it wasn't a roar of pain. The creature didn't even look like it was feeling the blows. It was rage, pure, violent rage.

Lemillion had placed himself between Isamu and Kocho and the creature and he caught Midoriya easily, putting him behind him as well. "C'mon, Deku, you've got this…" he whispered, fists clenched tight.

"What… what is that thing?" Kocho asked. She sounded scared. He knew he was. It was all he could do to keep himself from shaking. The creature was unreal, monstrous, a mockery of a man. Something about it just seemed profoundly… _unnatural_.

"I.. I don't know," Isamu replied.

"It's a Nomu…" Midoriya breathed. "There aren't supposed to be any more of them…"

The creature—the Nomu—broke free of Deku's tendrils, lashing out. Deku dropped down and it struck out, hitting him with a blow which connected with a resounding _crack_. The force even knocked him back, gouging the street beneath his iron soles. He used the space, bringing up one arm. "DELWARE… AIRFORCE… SMASH!"

A mighty blast of concentrated air pressure struck the Nomu, smashing it into a nearby car. Considering how much their Hero Courses and Deku himself had talked about minimizing property damage, it must have truly been serious. But Isamu winced all the same. Insurance coverage for Hero battles was good, but could still take months to process.

It didn't seem to matter. The Nomu sprung up again in an instant, roaring again. It leapt, covering the distance between itself and Deku like it was nothing and struck him again. He was more ready for the blow this time, dodging it, but it grabbed his white cape and threw him to the ground, hard.

"_Dad!_" Midoriya screamed again. He took a step back and Isamu could see the look of concentration flicker over his face as he manipulated his gravity. He was getting ready to jump.

The second he did, Lemillion grabbed him. "Toshi, no!"

"But Dad…!"

"He doesn't want you getting hurt! You can't fight that monster! I've got this!"

Lemillion rushed forward, cape trailing behind him. "Hey! Ugly!"

That got its attention and it struck out at him, the Nomu's blow passing harmlessly through his torso. Lemillion struck back, hitting it with a haymaker that would have dropped almost anyone.

The Nomu didn't even flinch. Lemillion's hand made a sickening _crunch_.

Lemillion winced, biting his lip to keep from screaming, taking a step back and cradling his hand. But he had the monster's attention now. It roared and slashed at him, but fortunately, he could still activate his Quirk.

Again and again it struck, but Lemillion kept its attention. Time enough for Deku to recover. He hit it from behind, knocking it _through_ Lemillion, crashing into the street.

A burst of speed brought Deku to it again, as the Nomu recovered. It threw a punch, but he caught it, emerald and crimson lightning crackling over his skin. His face set and grim, Deku twisted the thing's wrist, shattering it. Even then, it didn't seem to feel the pain.

Isamu had seen plenty of news footage and pictures of Deku in action. He always, _always_ smiled. There were, occasionally, brief flashes of grim determination, or even serious focus, when he was fighting a really serious Villain. But neither of those was an appropriate comparison. He was more serious than Isamu had ever seen. There was only sheer focus on _ending_ the threat in front of him.

What _was_ this thing?

Deku drew back his other fist. "DETROIT…. _**SMASH!**_" With his free hand, he hit the Nomu with such force that its head spun around nearly one hundred eighty degrees, making the most sickening sound as it did so. Like a marionette with its strings cut, it fell to the ground.

"Holy shit," Isamu said.

"Language," Lemillion said, quick enough that it sounded like a reflex.

"Sorry," he said, just as reflexively.

A moment of tension broke. Deku looked around, spotting the few civilians that had sheltered in place while he fought. Slowly, and with great effort, a smile did return to his face. "It's all right, everyone!" he said. "I've taken care of the threat! You're safe now! Because I am here!"

Yeah, okay, Isamu was man enough to admit his little fanboy heart soared at hearing that.

"Call it in," Deku said. "I'm pretty sure it's not getting back up, but we need a containment crew here, _immediately_. And we need to get your hand looked at." He looked over at Isamu, Kocho, and Midoriya. "Sorry, kids, but I think we're going to be working full time on this. Internship's over."

"We understand, Dad," Midoriya said. He sounded more worried than Isamu had ever heard him. He was usually one of the most confident, encouraging people Isamu knew. If he was worried…

"Please tell me that kind of thing doesn't happen all the time," Kocho said. Isamu didn't blame her. He'd at least gotten used to fighting robots and simulated Villains. She didn't even have that.

"Deku," Lemillion began. He was cradling his broken hand against his body, holding his Hero-Phone in the other. "It's not just here. Reports of attacks coming in all over the city. There's _more_ of them."

Deku stopped smiling. "It's an attack."

It was an awful, foul, unnatural thing, the Nomu. Dead-grey skin, its beak, its exposed brain… It made Izumi sick just to look at it. Afraid too. She had heard the stories, how one had been resistant to her father's freezing power, how another had nearly killed her grandfather. To think that someone once human had been perverted into such an abomination…

"Just as ugly as I remember," Uncle Denki—No, Chargebolt now—said. He lifted his right arm, readying his Sharpshooting gear. Electricity crackled around him, making his hair stand up.

Beside him, Grape Juice's face was set in grim determination, two of his balls already in his hands. "Just so you know," he said, "if we don't survive this… it's been nice knowing you, buddy."

The Nomu let out a roar of challenge, looking them over with its cold, almost lifeless eyes.

"Hey, relax," Chargebolt said. "We'll be back with the wives before you know it."

He looked back over at Izumi. "Izumi… seal us in. And keep it up. This thing can't get through. We keep it focused on us and it can't harm any people."

"And don't drop it until we tell you to," Grape Juice added. "No matter what you hear."

"But…" She couldn't just leave them to that thing's mercies. She knew about Nomus, knew that some of them had given even some of the strongest Heroes some of the most difficult fights of their careers. She loved her Uncle Denki dearly, but neither he nor his partner were what she would have called formidable.

"Do it!" Chargebolt shouted, racing forward, Grape Juice at his side. Grape Juice threw several of his balls, but the Nomu dodged. Right into the path of Uncle Denki's first electrical blast. It staggered under the blast, but kept coming.

Izumi let out a gasp, but brought up both hands, drawing in as much heat as her body could handle. She formed thick walls of ice, as thick and tall as she could make them, until nothing would be able to pass through this side of the street without smashing its way through. The bands on her regulator harness were already glowing an angry orange from the effort and she could feel the heat rolling inside her.

But she could hold it for the moment. She might need to shore up the ice wall. And when the time came to do her part, she would not be found wanting.

Her ice was too thick to see through, but she could hear the crackle of electricity being discharged, the roar of the Nomu, and the rubbery sound of Grape Juice's balls.

She wasn't sure what was more terrifying, the sounds of combat, or what it would mean when it stopped.

"How soon until we're at Tokyo?" Froppy asked. Her normally neutral expression was given over to worry. Her voice quavered in a way that Akaya had never heard before.

Rockhopper, manning the helm, gave her a grim look. "Still nearly an hour out, ma'am."

Akaya frowned. They'd been out in open waters, when the call had come in. An All Heroes Alert for Tokyo had gone out, meaning anyone able to make it to the location should. Tokyo was besieged by creatures though to be extinct, abominations against the natural world called Nomus.

The _Oki Mariner_ was far out, but they would try.

Her parents were based out of Endar, on the southern side of Japan. She didn't know if they'd be heading there or not. But many of her friends on their Internships and their parents were in the greater Tokyo area.

She prayed that they'd be safe.

"Foul beast," Tsukuyomi said, cloak billowing around him, "I shall not allow you to harm anyone else!"

It was a good thing he sounded so confident, because Takuma was scared out of his mind. Mom and Dad didn't talk much about the Nomus they'd faced as students, besieged at random intervals by the League of Villains, but what little they'd said had been enough. Mom had talked about having nightmares for weeks after the USJ and Dad had talked about how he'd been left questioning how worthwhile his Quirk was when there were monsters like that out there.

At the time, Takuma hadn't understood it. They were some of the most awesome heroes he knew (well, next to Deku, and Lemiliion and Red Riot and…). What could they ever have been afraid of?

And now he knew.

He hung back, watching from a roof while Tsukuyomi and Shadow-Dancer contended with the creature on the street below. Tsukuyomi had told him he was _not_ to engage under any circumstances, not even to rain Acid Tape from above. If any civilians wandered into the field of combat, he was to retrieve them, but that was it.

"I can't hold it much longer!" Shadow-Dancer yelled. She'd possessed a shadowed section of the street, wrapping it around the Nomu. It struggled mightily, thrashing about as though it felt no pain, no matter how rush road rash it committed to its dead grey skin.

"Then let us end this," Tsukuyomi declared. "Dark Shadow… _**Show no mercy**_!"

Dark Shadow leapt from the Hero and towards the creature, larger and more menacing than Takuma had ever recalled seeing it. It was early in the morning still, but the sun was starting to shine. It could only be Tsukuyomi's fierce directive giving it such power.

Swarming darkness, its "skin" constantly in motion, its eyes yellow comets in its head, deadly claws flashing… Dark Shadow was more aptly named than he ever realized. If Tokoyami's Frog-Shadow ever became half as formidable, she'd easily be one of the most powerful Heroes in Japan.

The Nomu never stood a chance. Takuma found he couldn't watch. He flinched and looked away. Judging by the wet sound he head, he didn't _want_ to look. Even that made him want to throw up.

He'd left his phone back at the Agency and for once, he didn't feel its absence.

Time and time again, Tensei swooped down and grabbed someone off the street, jetting back to the safe zone as quickly as he could. "Safe zone" was only an approximation, only far enough to keep them out of the rampaging Nomu's range as other Heroes battled with it.

"Keep it up, Jet-Blue," Veloci-Queen told him, slowing down only long enough to get her own rescue back on his feet.

He slipped the straw inside his helmet in his mouth, taking a long drink from his apple juice reserves. An indicator told him he still had plenty of left for the work ahead. Good. He had the feeling he'd need every ounce to fuel his Quirk.

In the distance, he could still see Tailman and Tentacole, two other local Heroes, grappling with the Nomu. Tetacole had the monster in a wrestling hold, while Tailman slammed his tail into it, time and time again.

It did not fall and instead let out a mighty roar, breaking free from Tentacole's grip.

Tensei took a breath and took off again. This was a high traffic, populated area and there were still so many people trapped in their cars.

Time to fly.

At U.A., the mood was grim. Water Spout and Doctor Izumi were _not_ having a good conversation.

"You can't possibly be thinking of going out there, Eri!" Water Spout shouted, pointing.

Doctor Izumi ignored her husband, continuing to throw items into her medical bag with rapid fire speed. "People are _hurt_ out there, Kota. I'm going to Musutafu General. If I can help even just one person…"

Water Spout frowned. "There's nightmares out there. Don't you remember what Deku said about those things?"

She continued packing. "Of course, I do. And I remember what Dad said too. They're not invincible. And right now, we've got damn near every Hero in the country converging on Tokyo. Including our friends in the Rookies."

Finally, she turned to look at him. "And in case you've forgotten, I can take care of myself." She punctuated this by clipping a large sheathed knife to her belt. "And besides, there's no indication they've made it anywhere near the school yet."

Nevertheless, the rest of the teaching staff was staying at U.A., to protect the students in case anything should happen.

"I can go with her," Kimiko said.

Both of them looked at her like they'd forgotten she was in the room. They probably had. Doctor Izumi had started packing as soon as the Hero Alert had gone out and Water Spout had shown up not long after.

"Maybe I can't fight," she added, "but I can make sure Doctor Izumi can get away from anything out there."

"…do you know what Aizawa would do to me if I let one of his students go out into danger like that?" Water Spout asked. Aizawa was his father-in-law, but he seemed deeply terrified of the prospect.

Doctor Izumi frowned, but nodded. "I'll take the heat with Dad if it comes up. I'm going, Kota. The only difference is whether or not I go with extra stealth or not."

Water Spout frowned too, but he stepped close to her, put one arm around her middle, and another on her face. He pulled her close and they kissed. "Stay safe out there."

"And you stay safe here," she said. "And if Dad asks if you've seen me, tell him you haven't."

She looked over at Kimiko. "Let's go, Ojiro."

As they left, Kimiko asked, "What're the Rookies? I heard you say something about them."

"Old U.A. classmates of mine and Kota," Doctor Izumi explained. "And a few upperclassmen too. We got the idea to organize a mobile group of Sidekicks not affiliated with any one particular Hero, pitching in wherever we were needed. The name stuck even after we became full-fledged Heroes."

She frowned. "I hope they're okay."

"Why! Won't! You! Stay! DOWN?!" Ravenous directed his Binging Balls to make another pass through the monster. Each time they left a neat hole, but the monster just ignored the damage being done to it. There was something strange about it too. The way they were tearing through it, it wasn't entirely like flesh at all. Some yes, but there was something more.

The beast was fast as well and had resisted Tamashiro's best efforts to focus his shots on a single point. As it charged him, finally moving in a straight line, he had three of his balls converge to slice off one of its feet, sending it momentarily off-balance. "RUSH, NOW!"

"ON IT!" Daichi Monoma, the hero known as Boost Rush, fired one of the protrusions on his arm at full intensity, sending him at high velocity to catch the Nomu mid-stumble. "Escape Velocity!"

Before the creature had its feet on the ground again, he activated his other arm's rocket booster, delivering a punch that rotated his body and could have moved a car. It didn't inflict any visible damage to the creature, but it was propelled upwards several feet. Smug the cousin of Phantom Thief may have been, but he was effective.

"Thanks!" Ravenous flashed a jagged grin as he directed all six of his Binging Balls at the monster's head before it could get any leverage again.

"Aizawa, get out of the way!" Rikido shouted, drawing himself up to his full, imposing height.

Aizawa shook his head. "You heard Nezu. All staff is to stay on campus in case those things reach the school. We're protecting the students."

"Dammit," he growled, jabbing a finger into Aizawa's chest. "My _son_ is out there!"

His former teacher didn't even flinch. He didn't even bother to activate his Quirk. "And my _daughter_ is going out there to help. Which she _can_ do, because she has a Medical Hero license. If _you_ go out there, in your state, you're just going to cause more trouble.

"So _sit down_. Or I'll make you."

Rikido hated that he was right. But he didn't know what to do. One such tragedy had taken his wife from him. If another took his son…

The Nomu had Kestrel in its grasp, one wing in each hand. Many of her feathers were embedded in its skin, but it neither bled, nor showed any signs of pain. It had been faster than it had looked, its powerful long arms giving it greater reach than she could avoid. And now it was pulling.

Feathers fell from Kestrel's wings and floated up into the air, stabbing ineffectually at the Nomu. Under such pain and stress, her control over her feathers had to be reduced. She could bring neither the speed nor force needed to wound it.

And if something was not done soon, it would separate her wings from her body.

Sora had been told to keep back. There was the implicit order in there that she was not to engage in combat with the Nomu. However, as Mother always said, the line between implicit and explicit was where permission lived, so long as you knew how to look for it!

While her right gauntlet contained a capture cable, sometimes, more aggressive measures were needed. Her left gauntlet contained a small harpoon launcher, for entangling flying objects or for when more penetrative power was needed.

It was this she sighted on and fired. The harpoon and its cable raced across the sky and hit the Nomu _right_ in its eye.

If it felt any pain from it, it did not show it. But its grip on Kestrel slackened as it looked up. Then, it let Kestrel drop completely and grabbed the cable with one of its dead grey hands. And it yanked.

Unprepared for such force, Sora's jetpack was overwhelmed by its strength and she was snapped downward.

The tug stopped and the Nomu jerked, two of Kestrel's feathers stabbing up from its jawline up through its brain. She smacked it with what remained of her right wing and knocked it back, getting weakly to her feet.

"C'mon, kid," she said, wings flapping weekly to get herself airborne. "We gotta… gotta move…"

Her own stability restored, Sora fired her Jackpack harder, swooping down to grab Kestrel. The Nomu, seemingly oblivious to the injuries it had obtained, swung wildly at them.

"I am afraid we do not possess significant enough strength to stop it," Sora said.

Kestrel tried to wiggle free from her grip. "Somebody's gotta…"

"Keep it pinned down, Sandblast! Bioshock needs more time to get me ready." Bezoar had embedded himself on a rooftop as a gunner's nest. It was the best place to employ his Tongue Tank Quirk, which required stability and a stationary position for firing. "I knew I should have taken more iron supplements this morning..."

"You're not the boss of me!" Sandblast sent another wave of Assault Dust at the Nomu, stripping a layer of flesh from it.

"Metabolism is at maximum, fire when ready!" Katsuma, on the roof with him, had completed maximizing the cell activation of Bezoar's quirk. A Medical Hero, he should have been out of the field, at one of the hospitals. But he'd said that he couldn't leave his friends in the lurch, and so here he was.

"GET CLEAR!" A pulse of light burst forth from Bezoar's jaws as they spread wide, and a roar of displaced air accompanied a high-speed hyper-dense projectile closing in on the Nomu.

It punched its way through the Nomu, leaving an open hole in its stomach. But no guts spilled out. Instead, there were… wires?

"_Red Riot… __**UNBREAKABLE**_!"

"_Real Steel… __**INDESTRUTICBLE**_!"

Daisuke watched as the dead grey Nomu hammered away ineffectually at Red Riot and Real Steel, its blows not even pushing them back. The power of its blows against their super-hardened bodies made deafening noises, but did little else. But at least it was distracted for the moment fighting them. When it had dropped from the sky, it had taken them all by surprise.

Both bastions of manliness had instantly thrown themselves into the fray, but even their great strength was doing little to slow it down. Red Riot had managed to score several sharp gashes along it with his sharp edges, but if it noticed, it didn't care.

"We need to get back to the Agency," he told Shiro Monoma. "Mobilize any of the sidekicks, get the word out." Red Riot and Real Steel were collectively the Number Ten Hero, some of the strongest in the field. If all they could do was hold it in place… And even that wouldn't last long. As tough as they were, he knew neither could hold their maximum defense for that long.

But Monoma had gone white as a ghost, rooted in place.

Daisuke nudged him. "Hey. We need to move. I'll carry you if I have to, but it's not safe here." Some of his classmates would have been raring to fight. Kirishima-Bakugo and Midoriya for certain. But Daisuke knew when the time to fight was and when the time to run was. They were students and that was a monster.

"I…" Monoma began. He was just staring at the Nomu. "It's… it's…"

Given the way in which Monoma's Quirk let him perceive others to mimic their skills, who knew what exactly he was seeing looking at that beast? He supposed he couldn't blame him for being frozen. Even with his own great strength, Daisuke found it absolutely terrifying.

Daisuke sighed and heaved the smaller boy onto his shoulders, using his Extendo-Arms to weave his way through the street.

"I couldn't beat it…" Monoma continued, seemingly oblivious to anything else. "Not even if I had a million skills…"

"Run now," Daisuke said, "existential crisis later."

Kenta was certain he was going to die. When they'd responded to the report of a Villain attack, none of them of them had expected the _monster_ that had been waiting. A _Nomu_. The thing that his dad, his Uncle Hanta, all of Dad's class talked about in hushed and fearful tones.

Suneater and Nejire-chan had been on it in an instant, the former entangling it with tentacles while Nejire-chan blasted away at it with her Wave Motion shockwaves. They were the Heroes, rushing in. And he was hiding behind a mailbox, shaking, with a stupid, useless Quick that wouldn't do anyone any good against _that_.

He was going to die. And Dad would be left all alone. And that thought hurt far more than the thought of dying. When Mom had died, Dad had built his life around him. It was only with Kenta starting U.A. and some encouraging words from his friends that Dad was starting to live his life again. And then he'd done this to him by going and getting himself killed.

"Tamaki!" Nejire-chan screamed,

There was a wet, meaty sound of fist hitting flesh. And then another. The mailbox Kenta was hiding behind shuddered as something impacted into it with a metallic _clang_. The Nomu roared, a terrifying, triumphant sound.

Kenta gathered his courage and dared to peek around the edge of the mailbox. Nejire-chan was slumped over on the ground, bleeding from a nasty head wound. A short distance away, Suneater was laid out as well.

A shadow fell over them and he realized it was the Nomu.

It let loose a low growl, raised its hands. It hadn't seen him… but it was going to kill Nejire-chan!

If he leaned over, he might be able to get at its ankle. And do… what… exactly?

Could he? He couldn't.

_He had to_. He had to do something.

Kenta stretched himself out, opened his mouth and took a big bite out of the thing's ankle, teeth tearing through skin and bone and muscle like they weren't even there. He spit out the chunk of meat, as it toppled backwards and pulled Nejire-chan towards him. She was surprisingly light and he got her over his shoulder as he got to his feet.

He could still feel chunks of Nomu between his teeth. He really wanted to throw up, but he kept going. And why did it kind of taste like metal in his mouth?

Kenta looked over his shoulder. Even without ankle to support it, the Nomu was struggling to get back up, as though it didn't feel its wound at all.

"Just a few more moments, please…" Aunt Momo said quietly, her voice weak from the strain of creation, sweat dripping down her face. The front of her costume was unzipped, as she concentrated on the machine she was creating. It was one of the biggest things Chihiro had ever seen her create.

Fighting the Nomu was Aunt Pony, two of her missile-like horns stabbing it again and again, while she rode on another two. She darted this way and that, sometimes too close for comfort, trying to keep its attention.

Chihiro's job was to watch Aunt Momo's back. Neither had wanted her there, but she's insisted on offering some kind of protection. She couldn't just leave Aunt Momo unprotected like that, she just couldn't.

"There…" Aunt Momo gasped, falling to her knees. "It's done."

Her head snapped up. "Now, Rodeo! Do it now!"

Aunt Pony shouted something in English. Chihiro didn't understand enough of the language to pick up everything, but caught something about "fish" and "barrel." She jumped off her horns and directed all four of them at the Nomu at maximum speed. They pierced its legs from above, pinning it to the street.

"I'm sorry," Aunt Momo said to her. "Shouldn't… have to… ask this… of you…"

Chihiro shook her head. "Gotta do what we gotta do. It's why we're Heroes, right?"

She plugged her Cords into the device Aunt Momo had made and gave it all the electricity she could generate in one massive blast.

At maximum charge, the rail gun fired, its projectile tearing through the Nomu like it wasn't even there. Its top half slid the ground with a _schlip_ sound, while its legs collapsed.

The top half started dragging itself forward. And was it… sparking?

They were in a bad wheeeeeeeyyyy….

Takiyo had been on patrol with Cellophane when the creature had struck, dropped out of the sky like a living missile. He would later deny the high pitched scream that he had made.

Cellophane's visor dropped into place. "Radiance. I need you to run. Get back to the Agency. Hero Alert's already going off, so more help will be on the way. But you've got to run. I'm not putting you in the firing line."

He launched a strip of tape while the creature vented its rage on a parked car. He was going to try and get above it, Takiyo realized. Didn't he know how little his Quirk would work on a monster that size?

"And," Cellophane said, "and tell my wife and kids I love them. Please."

He was… he was going to fight it anyway? When there were certainly other Heroes on the way? When his Quirk would do little more than slow it down for a moment? With a wife and a large brood of children at home, and two more children on the way?

Perhaps, Takiyo reflected, he had underestimated Cellophane.

Perhaps he had misunderstood just what being a Hero meant.

Could he do any less?

He let out a scream and unleashed all his light in a powerful, blinding bolt at the Nomu. Blinded, it let out a mighty roar, thrashing ineffectually.

"Told you to run!" Cellophane said, launching himself into the air. "But thanks, kid!"

Takiyo ran.

Team Idaten was on the move. With the speed Quirks possessed by many members and the fleet of vehicles for the rest, getting from Hosu to Tokyo was easy. What wasn't easy was finding out the city had become a warzone.

What wasn't easy was discovering that the threat was Nomus. Ingenium dispatched Sidekicks quickly, sending them to various sections of the city, to rescue whoever they could and aid the Pros in whatever way they could, before changing in to engage one himself.

Which left Mika and Flash-Step on rescue duty for any civilians trapped in the way of its rampage. Flash-Step was zipping from place to place, picking up people and moving them out of the way. Mika was slower than that, but was carrying a little blue-skinned girl in her arms.

"I lost my mommy when everybody started screaming and running!" the little girl wailed.

Mika was not particularly good with children. She wasn't even particularly good at being reassuring in general, unless it was Shiro, and that was because he was easy. She _was _very convincing, especially when it came to getting Chihiro to back her up, but that wasn't quite the same skillset. She stroked the girl's hair as she ran. "Don't worry," she said, "I'm sure we'll find her. Everybody's running this way. She's probably really worried about you."

The words felt like sludge in her throat. How could she make a promise like that? All Might and many of their teachers and parents talked about how a Hero's first job was to make people feel safe, to make them feel like everything was going to be okay. But how could she do that when she didn't know? What if it turned out her words were a lie?

"Yu!" Mika looked to see a blue-skinned woman, arms outstretched, standing not far away with other worried civilians. "Oh, thank goodness…"

"Mommy!" the little girl cried out, squirming in her arms. Mika handed her over to her mother.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you," the woman said.

"Of, of course," Mika said, suddenly flustered. "Just… just doing my job."

She spared a look back to where Ingenium was still fighting the Nomu. He was faster than it was, but his blows weren't doing much to stop it. One moment, he was a little too slow and it connected, knocking him down. It let out a roar and raised its arm to smash him and Mika felt her heart seize up. No Sidekicks in sight, no nothing…

A bolt of blue energy struck the Nomu in the face, temporarily distracting it. She saw a gangly man standing in the doorway of a convenience store, a hoodie pulled up over his head and a bandanna wrapped around his face.

Not a Hero then… but what the heck? And where had she seen blasts like that before?

But it bought Ingenium the moment he needed, and he was back to hammering the Nomu with powerful kicks.

Mika had seen the Hero Alert and all the locations where Heroes were fighting these monstrosities. She hoped her friends were safe. She hoped Shiro was safe.

She hoped her parents were safe.

Right now, she'd swear off girls _and_ boys forever if it meant everyone she cared about made it home.

Mei was as transfixed as everyone else in the workshop, stuck staring dumbly at the television.

"My babies…"

Asuka paced furiously, watching the televisions. Mob-Goblin had grounded her after Frog-Shadow had been nearly destroyed, focusing on her training within the Agency and not allowing her to patrol or venture out. It made sense, of course. Part of her had been badly hurt and needed time to recover. But when the Hero Alert had gone out, she'd been left alone with the Agency staff.

Left alone to watch the televisions. Reports were coming in from all over the city and news drones were relaying pictures of Heroes engaged in combat with the Nomu. She kept changing channels, watching. One showed her father, using Dark Shadow to tear the Nomu to pieces… only for each of those pieces to keep moving on its own.

No sign of her mother… she must have been too far away to respond promptly. But she was probably on her way. Maybe it would all be over by then…

"_Heroes the Voice and Glamour, along with Deku's Sidekick the Shield engaging near Lukas Park…"_

Asuka watched the screen as Glamour called upon an illusion of Deku, letting the Nomu unleash its rage harmlessly on it, while the Voice sought to restrain it with his capture weapon. The Shield slipped in, faintly glowing with power as he hammered blow after blow on the creature, each with a clap like thunder.

Frog-Shadow appeared and perched on her shoulder. **"They're… they're gonna win, right?"**

Asuka reached up and took her hand. "We can only hope so."

Other channels showed some of her friends out there with the Heroes, some helping with evacuations of civilians, others simply clearing out with the rest. And she was here, just watching.

Asuka knew most of the others thought of her as "Team Mom", because she was straightforward, level-headed, and responsible, always keeping them on track and on task. Then what she was feeling right now must be a mother's fears.

"This way people, keep moving! Stay inside the tunnel and don't touch the sides!" Petal Princess had created a semi-circular passageway with her Quirk, composed of the flowers created by her. Anything trying to press through would sustain significant damage. "Lady, behind you!"

"Rear Guard!" Lady Luminous, without turning around, unleashed her Queen Beam. A projection of light the width of her entire face shot forward a short distance, before making two sharp turns, upwards and backwards, to catch the Nomu pursuing her and the fleeing civilians in the face. "Thanks!"

As soon as Lady Luminous had passed the point of the tunnel entrance, Petal Princess thrust both her palms towards the Nomu. "Perfumed Hurricane!" The tunnel dissipated as the flowers flattened, turning razor sharp and converging on the monster.

"Mom, turn off the TV."

Mina gave her second eldest, Haruto, a look, as he didn't give her the chance, and turned the TV off for her. "Turn that back on!"

He shook his head. "Nope. I'm worried about Dad and Takuma too. But you don't get to give yourself a heart attack or something that could hurt the babies."

Her hand instinctively went to her stomach, trying to quiet the unease that she felt. Haruto had already had banished her third child, Yamato, from the room, making him take Ren and Moji with him.

"Dammit…" Of all the times to be knocked up…

"Hey! You wanna fight somebody, fight me!" Katsumi roared. The Nomu had already taken out Aunt Ochaco, clipped her hard when she'd gone in to try and get her hands on it to use her Quirk. She was unconscious, but breathing. So Katsumi was going to hit the ugly fucker with everything she had.

She brought up her gauntlets, firing disks imbued with her explosive power as fast as they would load. Explosions dotted along the surface of the Nomu's skin, ripping open gashes, burning away flesh, and all together doing absolutely nothing to slow it down.

Had this been the way Papa had felt, fighting Strongarm? Staring down a foe stronger than you, one who could rip you apart, but doing it to buy someone else a little time?

It was three meters away. Then two. Then one. She kept firing, keeping its attention on her. But she had to move. She couldn't just stand here. Keep it distracted and… and…

_Why weren't her legs moving?!_

Katsumi braced herself and closed her eyes.

There was a sudden, sharp blast of wind and something scooped her up into the air. She opened her eyes and found… _Shinji Yoarashi_?!

"What the hell are you doing here, you overgrown vacuum cleaner?"

The large boy looked surprisingly sheepish at the accusation. "I, ah, may have, ah, flown away from school as fast as I could when we heard about the attacks. I was, ah, worried about you, and Izzy, and Shota, and Mika… Thank goodness I found someone on my first try!"

In spite of the seriousness of the situation, Katsumi slapped her face with the palm of her hand. "Only you. Put me down! We gotta fight that thing!"

Her irritation was replaced by terror that made her feel like someone had injected ice water into her veins. She hadn't even thought about Izzy being out there somewhere… with Nomu everywhere. And she was with Uncle Pikachu and the Grape, who couldn't possibly protect her against…

No. No. No. She had to banish that thought. If she got herself killed because she was distracted…

Shinji put her down on top of a roof. "I think there's better people than us for that."

Below, the Nomu was looking for new targets. Fortunately, it seemed to have found one. More Heroes had arrived on the scene now, that Phantom of the fucking Opera wannabe Laughing Man and Nejire Togata, who'd wailed on their class at the USJ.

Katsumi hadn't liked getting beat to hell like that, but maybe they could unleash some of that hell on the Nomu.

She realized she was still breathing hard, her heart thudding in her chest. "Then let's get Uravity out of the way."

"Might as well risk my life some more," Shinji said. "Dad's going to kill me already anyway."

This was still technically a Rescue Internship right? Maybe she could do some rescuing.

As soon as her hands stopped shaking.

"Vanish Veil, do you copy? Reports are in from all over the city. Heroes are already engaged but we need to get the word out further."

"I heard them myself already, Dispatch! I know what I'm doing." Mahoro huffed as she gave her hair a toss and looked out on the city. Might Tower was one of the highest points available, and a good map covered any blind spots. She checked the coordinates again. One, two, three... sixteen. It was a terrifying thought, but it was happening. She activated her quirk, several arrows blinking into view around her, before flying off in different directions, rapidly enlarging as they went. Within a minute, each of the Nomus' last reported locations were highlighted with beacons nearly half a mile high, with a red flashing demonic face topping each one. It would be almost impossible for any Hero to miss.

"Veil... are you sure you won't consider those art lessons?"

"Shut up! Don't distract me!" She focused on maintaining each of the illusions, while still listening for any location updates. Her friends and little brother were out there. She'd promised Daddy she'd look out for him and she intended to keep that promise.

Shota screamed. The Nomu was the most terrifying thing he had ever seen, like a scary, monster corpse bird zombie thing. He and Ground Zero had been on patrol (After getting ice cream! A reward for helping to crack the Flash-Freeze case!), when it had taken them by surprise, dropped out of the sky like some kind of bomb. It had smashed right through a car like it wasn't even there.

Ground Zero had proven why he was the Number Four Hero and instantly jumped into action. First, he'd grabbed Shota and thrown him out of the way, shouting "Stay down, kid!" He'd landed hard on his butt on the sidewalk. The patented Ground Zero Rescue Toss!

"DIE!" Ground Zero yelled, charging forward and blasting the Nomu in the face with both hands. It staggered backwards, blinded by the heat and light, but swung wildly, trying to tag him. He ducked under the blow and blasted it again, unleashing a powerful charge against its chest.

He pressed his attack, blasting it against and again. "_Dammit! _Why won't you fall down!"

Ground Zero launched himself up and over the Nomu, slamming his hands against the sides of its head as he went. He unleashed more explosions and landed behind it, hammering another blow across its back. It roared and its skin was covered in burns, but nothing he could do was making it fall.

The Nomu spun to face him, its huge arms swinging wildly. A blow connected, sending him flying. Ground Zero crashed into a street light and slid down to the ground. The Nomu let out another roar and started towards him.

It was going to kill Ground Zero! He… he couldn't just let that happen!

And so Shota screamed again. He put everything he could into it, a high pitched scream that turned into pure destructive force. The blast struck the Nomu in the back, blasting a hole right through it. Shota could see right through it and out the other side. He must have even blasted away part of its spine! But there was no blood or guts either. Had he vaporized all of it? The rest of its body seemed enough to support it, but he couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Even if it was a monster, he'd never, ever used his Quirk on something alive like that…

At least, his attack got the Nomu's attention. It turned to look at him, charred and burnt flesh barely hanging off its singed face. One eye was burnt away entirely, the other grey and moving rapidly. It stopped when it saw him. Letting out a roar, it charged.

He couldn't even scream. He couldn't move. He was absolutely certain he was going to die. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't get his legs to move, couldn't scream, couldn't do _anything_. Getting to be a Hero, it was his dream. Before now, it had almost seemed like all fun and games (And way too much studying. At least he didn't have to worry about exams now.) and now it was just a nightmare.

_I'm sorry, Mom! I'm sorry, Dad!_

"Oi!" a voice—Ground Zero, he was okay!—cried out. "Leave the kid alone!" Powerful explosions blasted the Nomu and then Ground Zero was above it, flying over its head. As he came down, the Nomu reached out… _and grabbed his leg!_

The Nomu let out another roar and grabbed Ground Zero around the middle with its other hand. He struggled against its grip, blasting it with explosions, but they did nothing to slow it down. And then…

_It pulled_.

From below the knee, Ground Zero's leg… just… came… off…

He let out a scream. Not one of the ones he made before he smashed the bad guy… not even one of the ones he made when he was yelling at someone for doing something dumb. But one that seemed to contain all the pain in the world.

The Nomu let him slip from its grasp. And Shota screamed one final time.

The waves of sound hit the Nomu and then it simply... wasn't. The sound waves disintegrated it completely, like it was never even there.

Shota coughed, his throat raw. He hadn't done that particular trick in a while and it took a lot of out of him. He felt sick. He'd done that. Done that to something that had once been human…

Ground Zero!

Shota rushed to his side. Blood was pouring from his leg and he looked pale. He had to remember his first aid training. He had to! Ground Zero had gotten hurt trying to protect him! It was already bad enough. If he died, he didn't know what he'd do! They'd spent so much time on first aid, why couldn't he remember it?!

"I'm sorry," he sobbed, "I'm sorry…" He'd done it, he'd gotten one of the greatest Heroes of all time killed. He was going to have to drop out, everyone was going to hate him, Uncle Shota was going to be so disappointed in him…

"'s… okay, kid…" Ground Zero said, weakly. "'s… okay…"

The Nomu, somehow, even with its head completely facing the other direction, got back on its feet. Its balance was off and it roared and swung wildly, but it was as though it wasn't even aware of how badly it had been injured. It wasn't healing, like some of the Nomu that Izuku and other Heroes had fought years ago; it was simply as though something was keeping it moving despite its injuries.

The sudden revival took Izuku by surprise and it landed a blow that knocked him back. Having knocked him out of the way, it started towards Mirio, Toshi, and his Interns. Toshi was already trying to put himself in front of everyone else, while Kocho was taking to the air and Haimawari was moving into a position to slide, all of them getting ready to protect the injured Mirio.

Against such a monster, they'd have no chance. He didn't even have time to think, his body just moved on his own, channeling over seventy-five percent of the power of One for All. Like a bolt of green lightning, he instantly crossed the distance between himself and the Nomu and hit it with everything he had. No named Smash, just a straight up punch.

Its head went flying from its body, smashing into the nearby building and embedding itself there. Finally, the body fell to its knees and did not rise. It took a moment for the enormity of what he had done to sink in. True, the Nomu were not people, not anymore. They'd proven long ago that there was no going back for them. But he had killed it all the same.

It was not the first time Izuku had been forced to take a life. What few times he had still haunted him sometimes, in long dark nights. But this monster had been threatening his son, threatening a friend he loved like a brother, threatening the students he had been charged with the welfare of.

He would do it again if he had to.

"Are those… wires?" Izuku saw Mirio, with his unbroken hand, prod the head. He was right. Wires were dangling from its neck, still twitching and sparking occasionally.

"It's a robot?" Toshi asked.

"Is it supposed to be?" Haimawari asked. "I've only ever read about these things, but I didn't think they were robots…"

"They're not," Izuku said, firmly. Someone was playing games with them. Probably the same people who'd been behind the truck theft of a Nomu corpse a while back…

"Dad, look!" Toshi was pointing upward, where numerous demon faces were now illuminated in the air.

"Remind me to thank Maharo the next time I see her," Izuku said. "Toshi, I'm counting on you to get Haimawari and Koharu back to Might Tower. Mirio, can you stay here with the, ah, body?"

Mirio nodded. "Yeah."

His Hero-Phone crackled to life.

"_Unable to get eyes on Chargebolt and Grape Juice…_

"_Ingenium engaging Nomu…_

"_Kestrel wounded…_

"_Shoto, arriving to assist Cellophane…_

"_Voice, Glamour, and Shield engaging…_

"_Nejire-Chan and Suneater down!_

"_Uravity down…!_

"_Ground Zero… critically injured! Repeat Ground Zero, critically injured!_

All across the city, his friends, their children, his family, everyone… was in danger. From unthinking robot monsters that would murder them all without a second thought.

"_**FULL COWL! ONE HUNDRED PERCENT!"**_

The fires of One for All flared within Izuku, turning him into a beacon in the street. He flew into the air so fast he left sizzling after-images behind him.

The sounds of battle behind Izumi's ice wall hadn't stopped, though she'd heard both Uncle Denki and Mister Minoru scream several times. She'd even had to reinforce her ice wall twice over.

From above, there came a great crackling sound and a ball of lighting dropped from the sky. There was a great explosion and the lighting took off again, just as quickly as it had gone.

"Uh, Izumi?" came Uncle Denki's voice. "You can let us out now."

Dragging its leg behind it, the Nomu was still shambling after Kenta and Nejire-Chan. He'd gotten some distance, but it was still following. It just… wouldn't… stop.

A green streak of lighting fell out of the sky and engulfed the Nomu, then took off again immediately, too bright for his eyes to see what had happened. When he could see again, the Nomu was on the ground, its head torn off of its body.

"What… what just happened?"

Tamaki Togata, alias the Shield, had been Deku's sidekick for several years now, ever since graduating from U.A. He'd done so proudly, even if it meant occasionally having his dad embarrass him at work.

He had never as afraid as he was right now. Dodging out of the way of the Nomu's fists, his body started to glow brighter.

"What the…?" he gasped. "Deku?"

From above, a crackling electric streak dropped down, slammed into the Nomu, and was gone again. His own glow faded as it did so.

He looked over to the Voice and Glamour. "…He's pissed."

The Laughing Man, with his solid air shields and other tricks, and Nejire Togata's density control were keeping the Nomu contained, but weren't doing much damage to it. Katsumi scooped Aunt Ochaco into her arms and turned to Shinji.

"Can you really carry both of us?" There was none of the usual anger in her voice found when she spoke to him. Just desperate pleading. Even with a good relationship with good relationship she had with Shizuka, Aunt Ochaco had always been the true mother figure in her life.

She couldn't just lose her, not like this.

"Of course…" Shinji trailed off, his usual enthusiasm deflating like his strings had been cut. "Yes. I can. I promise."

A streak of green torn out of the sky and tore the Nomu's head off. The glow faded for a moment, turning the glow into Uncle Deku! He looked around, almost panic stricken, until he laid eyes on Katsumi.

"Go!" she yelled at him. "She's okay! We've got this!"

He hesitated for only a second, and then was gone again, glowing like a comet.

Shota had peeled off his costume's tunic and wrapped it around what was left of Ground Zero's leg, holding it as tightly as he could. He couldn't even call for help, couldn't reach for a communicator, he just had to keep applying pressure. He wasn't even sure where the rest of Ground Zero's leg had ended up. If they could find it, they could reattach it, right? But it such an uneven tear…

What was he going to do? Ground Zero just grunted in pain and was growing paler by the second.

"Izzat… you… Loud… Kid…?"

He… he couldn't die… he couldn't… it was all his fault…

A massive thunderclap and a sizzle in the air made him look up, and a bright green streak landed, cracking the pavement. The glow faded only slight, revealing itself to be Uncle Deku! Steam poured off his body from the heat of the acceleration as he looked around.

"Where's the…" he started, but his eyes snapped to Shota and Ground Zero. "Kacchan…"

Shota looked up, pleadingly. More tears fell down his already tear and snot-stained face. "Uncle Deku! He's… he's hurt! You've gotta save him!"

"Hang on tight." Uncle Deku unclipped his cape and used it to scoop them both up. "And take a breath. This is gonna be fast."

Years from now, they would talk about how Deku had singlehandedly stopped the Nomus that morning. How he had sped from battle to battle like a comet, smashing his way through each and every one of them in seconds, saving the lives of countless civilians, his fellow Heroes, and numerous students out on their Internships.

But as Izuku burst through the doors of the hospital, all he could think about was how he had been too late to save his friend…


	56. Chapter 51: Aftermath Part 1

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 51: Aftermath Part 1**

"…_greater Tokyo area and surrounding wards still reeling from the Villain attack that occurred earlier this morning. A representative from Hero Public Safety Commission identified the attackers as Nomu, monsters last seen more than twenty years ago, used by the original League of Villains. When asked about whether or not this indicated a new League of Villains was suspected, the representative said the matter was still under investigation._

_Though Pro Heroes responded quickly—in many cases, were already on scene at the time of the attacks—damage is still expected to be in the billions of yen, if not greater. Rebuilding efforts are already underway, with several firms specializing in reconstruction following Villain attacks already under contract._

_Thanks to the fast action of the Pro Heroes and by Deku in particular, civilian casualties were kept to a minimum, with no reported deaths. Various injuries were taken to multiple hospitals and are all expected to be discharged within the next few days._

_Unfortunately, multiple Pro Heroes are now being reported as injured. While many sustained only minor injuries and were treated in the field or discharged after emergency medicine, others were not so lucky. Lemillion, Chargebolt, Grape Juice, Can't Stop Twinkling, Tentacole, Tailman, and Phantom Thief were all admitted with non-life threatening injuries and are expected to be discharged sometime today. Suneater, Nejire-Chan, Kestrel, Cellophane, Uravity, and others sustained more serious injuries and are being kept for observation._

_The only Hero casualty was the Number Ninety-Seven Hero, Road Rocket, who gave his life to protect a group of school children. _

_We also have received reports that the Number Four Hero, Ground Zero, was critically injured and is currently undergoing emergency surgery…"_

_Shota is three years old and he's just gotten his Quirk. He laughed at something funny that Mommy said to him,and he shattered a window. He doesn't know exactly what happened, just that in that moment, he was completely and utterly terrified. Why did his Quirk have to be so scary? Mommy and Daddy didn't have scary Quirks! Well, there were some people that would think that Daddy's Quirk was scary, but those people were usually bad guys. _

_Shota is normally quiet, but now he doesn't even want to talk. If he does talk, he whispers, and usually to only his parents, Toshi, or Shinji. How was he supposed to be a hero like Daddy if he was so afraid of his Quirk?_

Shota stared up at the ceiling from his hospital bed. He didn't have any broken bones or anything, but the hospital staff wanted to keep him over night because they were worried about his mental state. He'd been crying so hard when he came into the hospital with Uncle Deku and Ground Zero, he had started hyperventilating.

He was still having a hard time just processing what had happened. His internship had been so much fun! Under Ground Zero, he was learning a lot, he really learned a lot, and got a lot of one-on-one time with him (Ground Zero had started paying a lot more attention to him and asking his opinion after he'd helped crack that case). Ground Zero had even let him stay at his house instead of sleeping at the Agency, which meant that he got to hang out with Red Riot, too! Their son Tai was adorable, too. Yeah, Red Riot had been letting Monoma from Class 1-B, who was his Intern stay at the house too, but he wasn't that bad. And it was funny when their dog, a growly Pomeranian named Lord Explosion, had chased Monoma around.

And then, just like that, everything had gone horribly wrong. Ground Zero had talked about them going for ice cream at Herotopia Ice Cream that just opened. He'd told Shota that he was proud of him and that he'd come so far in just a week. Ground Zero had been tough on him, too, so Shota knew that coming from him, it was high praise.

Then the Nomu had come almost out of nowhere. They had fought it, and then…

Shota shook his head, trying to get the image of Ground Zero bleeding on the ground in front of him, his leg lying detached from his knee on the street. In that moment, Shota had never felt so terrified in his entire life. Ground Zero had been bleeding in front of him, trying to tell him it was okay, even though Shota knew that it wasn't. He knew that it was all his fault. Ground Zero had lost his leg because Shota decided that he had to play hero and try and fight the Nomu. Sure, he had been afraid that the Nomu would kill Ground Zero, but what else was he supposed to do?! He couldn't just stand there.

Except he was useless when he tried to save Ground Zero. All of his knowledge of first aid, gone. All he could do was blubber about how it was his fault. What kind of hero did that? What kind of hero just broke down crying like that? Even when Uncle Izuku showed up, he couldn't do anything. All he could do was cry and tell Uncle Izuku that it was all his fault and how horrible he felt. And Uncle Izuku couldn't just leave him there. No, instead, he'd held onto his back as he went with him to the hospital.

And when they'd gotten to the hospital...that had been even worse. All of those doctors running around, trying to handle everyone coming in. And it was Shota's fault that they were even there in the first place. He'd never seen Uncle Izuku look so upset.

That was his fault, too. Everything that was going on with Ground Zero right now was his fault. No one could convince him otherwise. But was really the worst feeling was when he locked eyes with Kirishima-Bakugo. In that moment, Shota felt extremely guilty, and wished that the ground right there would just swallow him whole.

She'd had already gone through this once when they were younger with Red Riot when he'd nearly been beaten to death by Strongarm, and now she might lose her dad, too? And Tai. The sweet, smiling, upbeat little boy who had given him a hug just that morning and told him he loved him. If they lost Ground Zero right now, it would be entirely Shota's fault for tearing their family apart.

How could he be a Hero after this? How could he possibly save people if he couldn't even save Ground Zero? He was a sham. Everything that he'd excitedly talked about to Toshi and his friends, everything that he had told his parents that he was going to accomplish, how could he possibly do that now if his Internship was going to be that much of a disaster? What if he got someone else hurt like this again? Shota was the reason that Ground Zero's career as a Hero was likely over, what if something like this happened to someone else he was working with? Did he really want to be responsible again for ending another Hero's career?

His friends would tell him that everything would be okay, that things like this were bound to happen in his Hero career. But Shota couldn't help but shake the feeling that he'd failed. Completely and utterly. Even when his parents had come int o try and reassure him, all he could do was just think of how he failed.

Shota sunk back into the pillows in his hospital bed, letting the covers engulf his face. Could he stay here? Because he felt like he didn't want to move at all.

Katsumi was angry. She was also terrified. She honestly wasn't sure which one is better to be right now. But she was going to go with angry. Angry was better than the feeling of dread that had festering in the pit of her stomach.

She and Shinji had gotten Aunt Ochaco to the hospital as fast as they could, where the doctors had insisted that they check over her injuries as well. Katsumi tried shrugging them off but Shinji stood in front of her and wouldn't let her move. She let them check her out, but booked it as soon as they said they didn't have to keep her. And even if they said they'd keep her, they would have probably had to restrain her to get her to stay. And she'd have decked Windbag if he'd tried.

The doctors were all running around like chickens with their heads caught off. Katsumi's stomach churned, reminded of the feeling of when she five years old, running into the hospital with Dad, after he'd gotten the call that Papa had been beaten within an inch of his life. She felt so dizzy. She looked around, trying to see if she could spot at least one of her classmates. Hell, she'd even settle for Mineta or Monoma right now. She just needed to see that someone was okay.

And then she saw it, that familiar sight. It was Uncle Deku. But something about him was... different. He didn't look like himself. One thing about Uncle Deku is even when things look like the worst, he's always smiling.

Uncle Deku wasn't smiling this time. Which was very wrong. In times of crisis, Uncle Deku was always smiling, trying to make people feel safer. In fact, he looked like he was on the verge of tears. Which, granted, Uncle Deku cried a LOT, but these seemed different. These weren't his usual overjoyed, could barely contain himself tears. These looked like he failed. Katsumi had never seen her godfather with such a face. In looking closer, it looked like he was holding someone in his arms, and they were bleeding heavily, staining his white cape. And on his other side, Loud Kid was with him, his face tearstained, snot running down his face, his eyes bloodshot, his hands and arms covered with blood.

Why was Loud Kid with him? He was supposed to be with...

Dad.

No no no no no no.

Katsumi pushed through the room to the hallway, where Uncle Deku was shouting for a doctor.

"Uncle Deku?" Fear rang through her voice, and Katsumi couldn't even hide it. She didn't want to look at who he was holding.

Uncle Deku didn't seem to notice her at first, until Loud Kid gasped, and grabbed his arm. He turned to look at her, an agonized look on his face. She could see him trying to cover up who was in his arms. "Katsumi!"

But he couldn't cover up the gauntlets. She'd know them anywhere.

Katsumi gulped. No. Not Dad. That was so much blood. Oh God. Did Papa know yet? What about Tai? How would they tell him?

And then, she saw the spot from his knee where the bloody stump was. Katsumi could feel her heart beating louder than anything else around her, a solid hollow thumping in her chest. His leg...where was his leg? This wasn't happening, was it?

"Dad?" Tears welled in her eyes, as she tried stepping forward. It was getting hot in here. Her head was spinning faster by the second.

"Katsumi," Uncl Deku began. He started to say more, but she didn't focus on it. She just focused on her Dad, stepping closer to him still.

It wasn't real. She refused to believe it was real.

"Daddy?" Her eyesight started to blur in front of her, the room spinning, and she could see the ground rushing to meet her.

The last thing Katsumi felt was a sudden gust of wind and her entire world went black.

It was a bad dream. That's what it had to be. None of this was real. She was going to wake up and everything would be okay.

Except, when she sat up, Katsumi wasn't in her bed in the spare bedroom at Uncle Deku and Aunt Ochaco's house, where Aunt Ochaco had insisted she stay instead of the Agency. No, she was still in the hospital. Papa was sitting by her bed, Tai in his lap. Her little brother's normally smiling face was flushed with tears, and he was clinging to Papa for dear life. Shinji stood in the corner, a worried but relieved look on his face. Uncle Deku wasstanding behind Papa, his hand on his shoulder. Aunt Ochaco was there, too, better than what she'd seen her earlier, bandages wrapped around her head.

"What...what happened?" Her voice sounded groggy and horse, like she'd been yelling.

Papa reached out, holding her hand. "You passed out, sweetie. Shinji was nice enough to catch you."

She passed out. Why did she pass out? What could have caused her to-

She sat up with a start. "Dad!"

Papa looked down at his lap. Tai started crying again.

"Papa." She locked eyes with him. "Is Dad...is he..."

"No," Papa said, squeezing her hand. "He's in surgery. He's lost a lot of blood, but the doctors said he should pull through."

Thank goodness. Then Katsumi remembered why she passed out.

"Papa, I saw his leg."

Wrong words. Tai howled, burying his face in Papa's shirt. Everyone else looked down. No. She hadn't dreamed it up.

Papa sighed, passing the still crying Tai to Uncle Deku. "Would you mind taking Tai out and giving us some privacy? Katsumi and I have lot to talk about."

Uncle Deku nodded, taking Tai, who continued crying into his shirt. Uncle Deku, Aunt Ochaco, Shinji, and Tai all filed out of the room. Papa looked at her, taking her hand.

"Katsumi, about your Dad..."

Consciousness returned slowly to Katsuki, dragging him up through the depths of darkness. He's been injured often enough and had enough surgeries to know he must have been operated on. Damn Nomu must have hit him harder than he thought. Broke something, maybe? Or could have been internal injuries. Those things punched like a fucking truck.

Who the hell had brought those nightmares back to life? As soon as he was out of here, he was going to have to get Deku and IcyHot and Tintin and put a stop this bullshit right now. Trying to restart crap like that when he was on the job, who did those morons think they were…

He looked up and to his right, looking over the IVs they had him on. Damn good painkillers and antibiotics. Consistent with the beating he'd taken. He shifted uncomfortably on his pillow; probably taken a blow to the head too.

Looking around the room, he saw no signs of Shitty Hair or Katsumi. He trusted Round Face to have kept his daughter safe during all of this, but if that Idiot Husband of his had gotten himself hurt doing something reckless, they were going to have _words_. Loud words. Words like "you idiot" and "How could you be so reckless?" and "What the hell were you thinking?"

His lips twitched in a smile. Yelling did always put him in a good mood.

The door to the room opened and a doctor entered. Black hair that looked like he'd skipped a haircut and pure black eyes. Aoyama's husband. Shit. What was his name? He'd been Katsuki's personal surgeon for years. His Quirk protected him and others against any accidental explosions while he was under anesthesia or having emergency procedures done. Shima. Right. Haru Shima.

Katsuki liked him. Well, as much as he liked anyone, anyway. Shima was always straight with him, didn't pussyfoot around. Didn't get into yelling matches with him, but was firm and direct about what kind of care he needed every time he got hurt. And he had more patience than just about anyone Katsuki had ever seen. Anyone who put up with Aoyama enough to marry him would have to.

"You're awake," Shima said. Same damn thing doctors always said when they came to check on him. Always with the damn obvious stuff. "Good. Right about when I figured you would be."

"How's," Katsuki began.

"Your husband's fine," Shima said, anticipating the question. "One of the Heroes out there without any injuries."

He shook his head. He remembered screams. A face framed by purple hair twisted up in terror. "Not him. Loud Kid. Shota."

For all his reputation as being destructive and wild in his fighting style, Katsuiki had a keen eye for detail. Shima's lips started to twitch downward when he asked the question. Was the kid okay? He'd told Sleepy he was going to look out for him… Next to him, the heart rate monitor started beeping faster.

"He's fine. You saved his life." Shima went on. "He was pretty shaken up when Deku brought you both here, so they admitted him for observation."

"Good," he said. He'd been brought in by Deku? _Shit_. Deku was never going to let him live that down. No, actually, Deku would probably never bring it up. Instead of lording it over him like a normal person, he'd be polite about it, never mention it. He'd come to visit, all genuinely concerned. You couldn't even be angry about it!

His heart rate settled. Still a pretty good buzz from the drugs though. Or he was just getting old. He normally would have thrown himself from the bed and would have had to sedated. The number of times he'd nearly popped stiches over the years was significant.

"What about Katsumi?"

At that, Shima did almost smile. "Your daughter's quite the budding Hero. She brought Ochaco in, with help from that Shiketsu boy. She did mention he saved her life. They admitted her for observation, just so she could get some rest."

…what the hell was Shinji doing there? Katsuki honestly wished he could say he was surprised, but Yoarashi's boy was just as nuts as he was. Still, if he'd saved Katsumi, then perhaps he ought to simply be grateful. And proud of his little girl too. Maybe he could lord that one over Deku. Deku saves him, Katsumi saves Round Face, one of those had to at least cancel the other out.

"Great," he said. He slapped the railing of the bed. He was wearing gloves, he noticed. The kind they usually fit him with when he was hospitalized. They helped his hands not to sweat. "So how bad did I get hit? When am I getting out of here?"

"You did take a significant blow to the head," Shima said. "You had a concussion, though we were able to relieve the swelling."

"Hard head comes in handy, huh?" he asked, letting just a little irritation creep into his voice. Shima was hesitating. Why?

"Unfortunately, there were other injuries. I'm afraid…"

Katsuki cut him off. "Afraid of what?" He said it so fiercely that Shima actually took a step back.

He followed the doctor's eyes down his body, to the white sheet covering him.

A sheet that didn't have quite enough lumps under it.

Consciousness returned to Katsuki again. Why had he lost it this time? Ah, right. He'd threatened to blow Shima's fucking head off after calling him a butcher. He'd been angry enough to even explode his way through the gloves that were supposed to prevent that. He remembered the heart rate monitor going crazy, his explosions stopping just short of touching Shima, stopped by that damn Quirk of his… And then the quack given him a damn sedative!

He became aware he wasn't the only person in the room. Shima again. Eri. Throw in that annoying kid, Katsuma, and it'd be the whole damn parade of medical people in his life. And Shitty Hair, who looked like five kilometers of bad road. Great. His Idiot Husband had probably been crying. He did that. A lot.

"Bakubabe!" Shitty Hair said, rushing over to his side. He grabbed one of Katsuki's hands in his, squeezing it tightly. "I was so worried about you," he said. "Everything was so nuts after Deku smashed his way through everything, and then I finally got the call about you and…"

With every word, he'd been leaning in closer. Katsuki shoved his face away. "Okay, okay, we get it, you were worried about me. Stop blubbering. I'm alive."

Or most of him was, anyway. He looked down at his legs. Leg. So he hadn't imagined that. "…Fuck."

Wait, Eri was here. That weird Quirk of hers that had fixed All Might. For a second, hope flared up within him.

"I had Eri look at your chart," Shima began.

"I'm sorry," Eri said, shaking her head. Her horn was smaller, he noticed. "I was at a different hospital when you were brought in. Spent the whole morning treating different injuries. It'll be a day or two before I've stored up enough power to heal anyone. By which point we'll be long past where I could Rewind you."

"Those people hurt worse than me?" he asked. The small bit of hope that had flared within him died just as quickly as it had arisen. He hadn't really expected it to be true anyway. No, he lived in the real world, where people got hurt and stayed hurt.

"I can't give details… but yes."

"Fine then," he said. It snapped out, really. But he meant it. He wasn't some crybaby who needed her to patch up all his scrapes like Deku or that Sidekick of his. It was better if somebody who really needed it got her help.

Katsuki fixed Shima with a look. "You get Glasses' wife on the phone then? Get me fitted for some robot leg?"

Shitty Hair and Shima exchanged a worried look. "Katsuki," Shitty Hair started. That wasn't a good sign. Shitty Hair almost never used his real name, unless something was really serious.

Fuck.

"While there are many Heroes out there operating with prosthetics," Shima said, "your situation is… a bit unique. Between the stresses your Quirk places on your entire skeletal system, along with the fact that all your sweat, not just the sweat from your palms, contains trace amounts of your explosive agent… I'm afraid there isn't a prosthetic that currently exists or is in development that can handle your Quirk. We can fit you with an everyday model, but…"

The words entered his ears, but didn't quite make it as far as his brain. "So, what're you saying?"

"I'm," Shima began, but Shitty Hair interrupted him.

"Katsuki," Shitty Hair said, a tear trailing down his face, "he's saying that your Hero career's probably over."

No. No, it couldn't be. It _couldn't_ be true. He wasn't the Number One Hero yet. He still had to beat out IcyHot and Tintin and Deku! Still had to show all of them that he was the best there ever was or ever would be! To go out at being Number Four? What the hell kind of loser talk was that?!

"Get out."

"Katsuki…" Shitty Hair started.

"_I said get out! All of you! __**Get out!**_" Explosions popped and crackled from his hands, setting off the smoke detectors.

Katsumi's lungs were raw from screaming. She'd blown up several things and set off the smoke alarms. She still couldn't believe what her Papa had told her.

Her Dad, the Number Four Hero (though ALWAYS Number One to her and Tai, no matter what the official rankings said), and probably the toughest person she knew, had lost his leg in a fight with one of the Nomus. His Hero career, even if he managed to get a cybernetic leg, was likely over. Just like that.

It wasn't _fair_! Her Dad didn't deserve this. Sure, he'd been a jerk in his younger days, but he was open and honest about all the work and therapy he'd gone through to become a Hero, husband, and father that his family could be proud of. He deserved to go back out in the field, and be the best Hero in the world. Which to Katsumi, he always was.

She'd yelled at Doc Clock when she'd come to check on her. Her Quirk could be spent healing her Dad. After all, she'd healed other heroes from horrible injuries in the past, so why couldn't she Rewind Dad?

When Doc Clock tried to explain herself (Something about expending too much power, the injury having been too long ago now, trauma from Rewinding back to the injury… She'd really stopped listening after "I can't."), Katsumi had yelled at her. She called her selfish. And then, with every ounce of venom she could muster, she'd shouted that she hated her. Papa had yelled at her for that one. Yelling at someone like that wasn't very Womanly. And no, Katsumi knew she didn't really hate Eri. But she was angry and not thinking.

Papa left her alone when she asked, despite not wanting her to. Good. She didn't want him to see her crying like this.

In retrospective, yelling everyone out of the room might not have been the best idea. He can't get out of the bed on his own, he needs a damn bedpan to go to the damn bathroom. He hasn't felt this helpless in years. Not since Shitty Hair… since Eijiro…

Not since he nearly lost him. Not since he wasn't sure if his husband was ever going to wake up again. At least he didn't do that to him. No, all he's done if left him with a useless, broken husband.

Anyone with brain cells would have stayed out of the room. Fortunately for him, Shitty Hair didn't have many of those. But he did have many heart cells. The door opened and he saw Eijiro walk in.

"How're you feeling?" he asked.

Katsuki just glared at him.

"Okay, dumb question. But are you in any pain? I can get them to give you some more painkillers or…"

He shook his head. "Nah. They got me on the good shit."

"That's something," Shitty Hair replied. He pulled a chair up to the side of the bed and took Katsuki's hand. Katsuki didn't pull it away. He's not… great about demonstrations of affection, even in private like this. But it maked his husband happy. So he could put up with it.

"You been to see Katsumi?" he asked instead.

Eijiro nodded. "She's worried about you," he said. "But she's fine. She _saw_ you, Katsuki. When Izuku brought you in."

_Fuck_.

"…Nice to know we're both contributing to her childhood trauma."

A small, sharp-toothed grin briefly flashed across Eijiro's face. "There's my husband."

"Tai know?"

Eijiro sucked in a breath. "…Yeah. I had to tell him. Izuku's watching him now."

_Fuck_.

Katsuki didn't say anything. The silence settled over the room like a shroud. He could see the wheels turning behind Shitty Hair's eyes, the urge to say something, anything, building slowly, but surely. His Idiot Husband never did know when to shut up. Always trying to say something cheerful or reassuring. Biggest damn cheerleader in his life.

"We're going to get through this," Shitty Hair said. "I know we will."

It was meant to be reassuring. For most people, it probably would have been. For Katsuki, it just made him angry. Getting through things was for regular people. He got _past_ things. He _beat_ things.

"How?" he demanded. "How the _fuck_are we gonna do that?"

"I don't know! But we'll figure it out. Together." Dammit. Shitty Hair was so damn sincere. He really meant it.

A broken failure like him didn't deserve it.

Katsuiki hadn't cried many times in his life. When he'd had the breakdown after the Licensing Exam. When he'd gotten married. When his children were born. When he thought he was going to lose Shitty Hair.

Now.

"This was all I ever wanted to do, Shitty Hair. From the time I was four years old. If I ain't a Hero anymore… then _what the hell am I_?"

Eijiro squeezed his hand. "My husband. Our children's father. A friend. An inspiration to millions of kids. You fought hard, Bakubabe. Manliest man I've ever known. And you're going to need every bit of that Manliness to get through this.

"But I'm not going anywhere. The kids, your friends, none of us are going anywhere. You've had the backs of so many people, for so many years. Now it's our turn to have yours."

"When the hell did you start making sense?" Katsuki demanded. Still… Shitty Hair… may… have… had… a point. Moping? Feeling sorry for his shitty self?

No.

That wasn't who he was. Wasn't what he believed in.

Once upon a time, Katsuki had believed himself to be the center of the world. Unbeatable, unstoppable, a protagonist in a world full of extras meant to highlight how awesome his story was.

A lot of fights and a lot of therapy had changed that.

If he could overcome the shithead he used to be, he could overcome this. He could overcome _anything_.

"_**You let me in there to see my son or I'll have your intestines for a scarf! I'm not scared of you! LET ME IN!"**_

Eijiro had the decency to look guilty. "I, ah, may have called your parents."

"Dammit, Shitty Hair…"

Katsumi didn't want to see anyone. Several people had tried, and she'd pushed them all away. Even Izzy. Granted, she was a lot nicer to Izzy, but she didn't want her to see her like this.

Katsumi laid on the side of her bed, staring out her window that looked at the hospital window. Observation, they said, since she'd gone through an exhausting day and fainted. She was angry, sad, and scared all at once. She hated it. She almost didn't hear the door open at first.

"Go away, Papa," she said, not bothering to turn over.

"It's not Papa."

Her eyes, widened, and she turned over, sitting up in bed. Dad was in front of her, in a wheelchair, having been wheeled in by a nurse.

"Give us a second, okay?" He asked the nurse, who left the room, telling him she'd be right outside, and not to stay too long. She didn't sound too happy with him. Dad was a poor patient in the best of times, and these were far from that.

"Dad..." He looked beat up, but mostly the same. Still tough. How could he do that after everything he went through? "Shouldn't you be resting?"

"Resting? How the hell am I supposed to rest when my daughter's in the hospital?" He said, managing a small smile at her.

"Yeah, but, Dad, you..." Katsumi trailed off, looking at his leg.

Dad sighed. "I know. I'm sorry you had to find out this way, Firecracker." He probably hadn't called her that since she was ten, when she declared she was too old for silly nicknames. But right now, it was comforting.

"I just..." she began, tears swelling in her eyes. "Aren't you angry?"

"Am I angry? Of course I am. When I woke up, the first thing I did was scream and blow something up." His tone was still calm. "I had to be sedated." He looked at her, a small smile like he expected her to laugh.

Katsumi managed a small chuckle. "But you've worked so hard and you lost everything."

"I don't think I did. I still have you. I didn't lose you or Tai, or Papa. Loud Kid is okay. I had to tell him it's not his fault two hundred times, but he's breathing. A leg is a small price to pay for knowing that I kept people safe."

Katsumi nodded, choking back tears. "What're you going to do?"

"I'll figure it out. But for now, I'm going to make sure my family is safe." He leaned forward in his chair, pulling her down to his, locking her in a tight embrace. Katsumi relaxed in his arms, feeling safe for the first time that day.

"I love you, Firecracker."

"I love you, too, Daddy."

Shota didn't know how much time had passed. He was pretty sure that he had fallen asleep at some point, but everything since he showed up at the hospital with Uncle Izuku had felt like a giant blur. The doctors and nurses had drifted in and out, asking him if he needed anything. Every time he opened his mouth, his tone was monotone and emotionless. None of his usual enthusiasm when he was usually addressed.

Shota didn't even feel sad anymore. He just kinda felt...numb. Was this how someone was supposed to feel after experiencing something so terrible? Should he still just be constantly crying? Shota wasn't sure if he could even cry anymore. The doctors had told him that he was likely dehydrated from crying, something Shota didn't even think was remotely possible. Would he ever even feel happy again? His friends expected him to be the one who was always smiling, and Shota was pretty sure that the only person who smiled more that he did was Uncle Izuku. And even Uncle Izuku liked to joke that Shota gave him a bad name with how much smiling he did.

They'd wheeled Ground Zero in at one point. He'd told Shota it wasn't his fault, that the loss of a leg was better than being dead. He'd even thanked him for saving his life. Ground Zero had said he didn't want Shota blaming himself. Shota had nodded and said thank you in a quiet voice.

He didn't believe any of it.

"Hey kid," a familiar voice came from the side of his bed.

Shota turned over. He didn't even hear the door open, or his Uncle Shota come in. He'd never seen his godfather look so tired. Well, he always looked tired, even more tired than Dad, but this was a different kind of tired. Uncle Shota looked like he had been kicked down.

Shota pulled the covers of his bed up to his face. He didn't like letting people see him like this, especially not his parents and Uncle Shota.

"Hi, Uncle Shota."

"I'm not going to ask how you're feeling," his godfather said, leaning back in the chair he was sitting in originally. "I know you've been through a lot, and you're feeling pretty defeated right now. Like you failed."

Shota sat up a little bit. Uncle Shota just always had this ability to know what he was feeling. He told Shota that it was "godfather's intution."

"You do?"

He nodded. "I know Ground Zero's told you this, but it's not your fault. It might feel like that, but it's not."

Shota stared up at the ceiling. "Ground Zero can't be a Hero anymore. That's my fault. I did that. He was trying to save me and…"

His godfather placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm going to tell you something very important, I've known Ground Zero since he was your age. And I know him well enough that losing his leg isn't going to stop him from being a Hero. A Hero is all that Katsuki Bakugo has ever wanted to be. And I know that he's stubborn enough to keep trying, even if he did just lose a limb. If he can't go out in the field, he'll try something else, something that keeps him doing good."

Uncle Shota locked eyes with him.

"And I know Ground Zero well enough to know that seeing you beating yourself up and blaming yourself would make him very angry."

Shota knew that he was just trying to help. His godfather always looked out for him, even with him joining his class, and trying to not show a bias for him.

"I don't think I'm meant to be a Hero, Uncle Shota."

"Why? You've always wanted to be a Hero."

"Yeah but….maybe I'm not supposed to be."

Uncle Shota touched underneath his chin, so his eyes were locked into his.

"You listen to me, Shota Shinso. You were meant to be a Hero. If anyone in this class was meant to be a Hero, it was you. More than anyone else. More than Midoriya, more than Kirishima-Bakugo, anyone. I know they want it, you all want to be Heroes. But Shota, you were meant to be a Hero. And if you give up, you're going to go your whole life wondering what would happen if you stayed."

Shota sighed. His godfather was right. He always knew him so well. He did want to be a Hero. More than anything in the world. He wanted to save people like Uncle Izuku, and do good like Mom and Dad. "Okay...I'll stay. I just...I feel like I failed. Am I ever going to smile again?"

Uncle Shota nodded. "You will. It might take some time, but you will. Failures like this are going to happen. Unfortunately, as much I want to keep you sheltered and safe, the job had drawbacks. Knowing that you might face something like that is something that you're going to come across. Not all the time, but there's going to be days like what just happened."

Shota nodded, feeling tears well up in his eyes again.

Uncle Shota gave him a small smile. "That being said, you're going to go to therapy sessions with Hound Dog before I can clear you for active Hero classes today, okay? I know it can be tough, but I can go with you for the first couple of sessions, okay?"

Shota nodded.

"I know today was rough, but I'm proud of you."

Shota smiled, managing some words. "Thank you, Uncle Shota."

"I love you. Now get some rest."

"_Very good, Shota!" Uncle Shota is helping him with his Quirk now. Having his godfather near him makes it a little less scary, as he knows that Uncle Shota can erase his Quirk if he gets too bad._

_Shota is grinning from ear to ear. "Did you see that Uncle Shota?! Did you see that?! I used my Quirk and I didn't break anything this time!" _

_Uncle Shota smiled. "I did. I'm very proud of you!" _

_Shota smiles, wrapping his arms around his godfather's legs. "That was so cool! Do you really think I could be a Hero someday just like you, Mommy, Daddy, and Uncle Izuku?"_

_His godfather smiles down at him, ruffling his hair. "I do."_


	57. Chapter 52: Aftermath Part 2

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 52: Aftermath Part 2**

As he expected to, Kota found Aizawa in his classroom. Perhaps it was strange that he still thought of his father-in-law as "Aizawa" and not "Shota" or "Dad", but if he was pushed to admit it, he still found the man absolutely, pants-wettingly terrifying. When he talked to him, which was frequently seeing as they were coworkers, he usually defaulted to "Sir."

He'd never been entirely sure how much Aizawa actually liked him, despite the fact that he'd been married to his daughter for over ten years. Of course, the first time he'd picked Eri up for a date, he'd been so terrified of Aizawa and his "intimidating dad" routine he'd panicked and punched him in the balls. That kind of set the tone for their relationship going forward, even if Emi had found it absolutely hilarious.

Kota opened the door to Aizawa's classroom, where the man was sitting in the dark, staring directly ahead, his sleeping bag laying discarded in one corner of the room. Aizawa was so still that if he didn't know better, Kota would have sworn he was dead. He didn't bother to turn on the lights.

"We've been busy on the phones," he said. Aizawa didn't respond or even look his direction. But he knew the man well enough to know he was always listening, even when he appeared to be ignoring you. "Checking in with the Agencies."

He continued, "I've talked to Eri. She's fine. There was a Nomu in one of the areas she had to travel through to get to the hospital, but Can't Stop Twinkling was there fighting it and Ojiro got her through without it even knowing she was there."

That, at least, got his attention. "She took one of my students with her?"

"Ojiro volunteered," Kota said. "No combat. Just additional stealth."

Aizawa frowned. "I thought she had more sense than that."

"Desperate times," he replied. He wasn't particularly happy with it himself, but he hadn't been happy about his wife going out into that insanity to begin with. But Kota had known Eri long enough to know there was no arguing with her when she'd made up her mind. It didn't do any good in the long run and he always ended up sleeping on the couch for at least a week.

There was a long moment of silence, then Aizawa spoke again. Kota had never heard such pain and distress in his voice before. "My children trusted me with theirs, and I let them go out into this insanity. Nemuri even joked that their first Internships couldn't possibly be as bad as that of the Problem Child and his friends. I guess the joke's on us."

A treacherous thought arose in his mind that the Joke was frequently on Aizawa, but he squashed it down as the seriousness of everything settled back in.

"Deku and everyone," Kota said, treading carefully, "they know the kinds of things that can happen in this life. This isn't your fault." That didn't get him a response.

Aizawa was still staring at him, so he continued. "The kids are all alive." He didn't use the word "fine," because almost all of them had been caught up in the Nomu insanity. "Fine" wasn't a word you used after something like that. Kota understood. He and Eri both had their share of nightmares from their own traumatic childhood experiences.

Kota went on. "Midoriya, Todoroki, Haimawari, Aoyama, Shoji, Ojiro, both Iidas, Sero, Sato, and Kocho are all uninjured, though all of them saw varying degrees of action. Tokoyami was hurt earlier in the week and wasn't anywhere near any of the action and Koda was too far out with Froppy and the _Oki Mariner_ to be involved."

That was the good news. The rest, well, it got increasingly worse.

"Mineta received a few minor scrapes from falling rubble, but is otherwise unharmed. Kaminari is being treated for Quirk Exhaustion after overloading her brain powering a weapon Creati made."

Aizawa's eyes narrowed. He suspected Yaoyorozu would be getting an earful.

"Kirishima-Bakugo is being treated for exhaustion as well. She was directly involved in fighting one of the Nomu protecting Uravity, and then had a poor reaction to seeing her father injured."

The intensity of Aizawa's stare increased and Kota actually found himself taking a step back. He wasn't a stupid man and what Kota was leaving blank was blindingly obvious. Aizawa actually got up out of his chair, moving closer to him. "You're hedging around something. What are you hiding? Get to it."

"Shota Shinso was there when Ground Zero fought the Nomu. He saw everything. He was nearly catatonic by the time Deku got them to the hospital. They've admitted him for observation."

For a moment, Kota was five years old again, watching Deku wreck his body fighting Muscular. It was a horrifying sight, one still as clean in his memory all these years later as it had been at the time. And Deku had, ultimately, won that fight. How much worse was it for Shinso?

Aizawa glared at him, a twitch forming in his left eye, his mouth set in a hard line. "Get out of my way," he snapped, already shoving past Kota and out into the hallway.

Kota just stared at the empty room for a moment. "…That actually went better than I thought it would."

Haru Shima had had a busy morning. When word of the Nomu attacks had gone out, he'd gone straight to the hospital where he worked, right in the heart of Tokyo. They didn't live far from it and his Quirk was more than adequate protection against anything that might have been out there. There'd be plenty of incoming, he knew, and they would need all hands on deck, especially if any Heroes were injured. His husband had already left for the day and would be in the thick of it. Their son had been out there too, working with Cellophane.

He'd forced himself not to think about them, but left strict instructions that, unless he was in the middle of surgery, he was to be contacted if either of them were brought in. And then Izuku had brought Katsuki in, torn to pieces and losing blood fast…

He'd done what he could. Haru was an excellent surgeon, but there were limits, and the damage had been severe. Not a clean cut, but a mutilation, with damage to the surrounding bone, muscle, and nerves. That Katsuki hadn't died was a minor miracle.

Haru himself been lucky. Yuga had sustained only minor injuries and would be released today. Takiyo was fine. Hanta had bought him time to escape to the relative safety of his Agency. His son wasn't exactly happy about having been forced out of the fight, but Haru had detected the fear in his voice when he'd finally been able to speak to him, and assured his son that retreating had been the most sensible option.

And, of course, he'd had a million texts from Haruko, Mezo's wife. Haruko was like him, the only other one in the group of Class A and their spouses who wasn't at least tangentially involved in Hero work. Mei was… a delightful, if eccentric woman, but she was closer to it than either of them. He only tended to see Heroes when they were injured. So he and Haruko often chatted and talked, often with Monoma's wife, Tsukushi, as well, who was also a civilian.

But finally, it all seemed to have abated and he could go home. At soon as he picked up his husband, anyway. He pushed open the door to Yuga's room. And he stared. He closed his eyes and counted to ten. Unfortunately, the sight that greeted him was still the same. A hand met his face.

"Yuga," he said, peering between his fingers, "why do you have a paper bag on your head?"

"I am hideous now, Haru," Yuga said. His accent was thicker, the way it always was when he was trying to solicit more sympathy out him. He placed one hand on the bag; it crinkled under his fingers. "I must hide my face away from prying eyes, lest my unsightly visage insight the people to riot."

Visions of Yuga in an opera cloak and a half-mask, badly trying to playing a pipe organ he'd somehow managed to smuggle into their apartment while fog machines spewed their fog, danced in Haru's mind. This was going to be the first grey hair all over again.

"Yuga," he said, "you're _fine_. You got your nose broken. It was a clean break, it got set in time, and you won't even have any scars."

"_Non, non_, I am hideous, cut down in my prime, Haru. I can only pray you will not leave me for someone you can bear to look at… And yet, do you not deserve a man who is whole, my love, a man whose face you are not ashamed of…"

The things he put up with for the man he loved…

Haruto Sero was aware that, even in the world of Quriks, he and his family were an odd looking brood. While his older brother, Takuma, resembled their mother, minus the horns, he mostly looked like their dad, only with horns. His younger brothers, Yamoto and Ren, were no different. Yamoto mostly looked like Tamuka, and Ren mostly looked like their dad, except for being blue. Their little sister, Moji, looked like dark-haired version of Mom. So the number of eyes that were briefly on them when they entered the cafeteria wasn't surprising. But like they always did, the gazes fell just as quickly.

Who knew what the twins would look like? Mom hadn't done herself any good getting all stressed and worried about Dad earlier, but both she and the babies were fine now.

Dad was in a… not great way. He'd taken a nasty blow to the head from the Nomu, saved from bigger injuries only by his helmet. If he hadn't had that, he'd probably have suffered brain damage. And he'd probably have been dead if Shoto hadn't shown up.

While Mom stayed with him, she'd charged Takuma with getting the rest of them something to eat from the cafeteria. He'd looked less than happy to have his thirteen, eleven, nine, and two year old siblings with him. Considering he'd once tried to sell Moji to Uncle Rikido, this wasn't exactly a surprise.

Takuma gestured in the general direction of some tables. "Yamoto, Ren, take Moji and get us a table. Me and Haruto will get food." He wasn't looking up from his phone, where he was texting furiously. Maybe his boyfriend? Or maybe Kenta and Kimiko? Haruto didn't know.

As Takuma went to get real food, he told Haruto to get some drinks. So he stood in front of the drink case, trying to decide what he should get. Mom honestly didn't give a crap about what they ate or drank, always indulging them in their wishes for pop and candy. She wasn't real big on discipline. Or consistency, for that matter. It may have explained the number of cavities he'd had over the years.

His eyes widened as a bottle of water floated its way out of the case. He followed it to where a green-haired girl about his age was standing, phone in her other hand. Of course she'd be here. Her mom had gotten hurt too. And her dad had rescued Ground Zero. So yeah, no surprise. Of course. He needed to say something. Something smooth? No, not the time for that. Just keep it normal. Don't let on that she's the girl he really liked.

"Hana?" he asked, his voice cracking. Dammit, puberty! Why can't you be cool?

Hana Midoriya looked up from her phone at that. "Oh, Haruto. Hey." She pockets the phone and catches the Quirk-drawn water bottle in her hand. "How's your dad?"

"He's gonna be fine," he said. "Took a nasty blow to the head, but he's fine. How's your mom?"

"Same," Hana replied. "Dad sent us down here to get food. Put King Dork in charge." She pointed over to a table—where Yamoto and the others were too—where her older brother, Toshi, and younger sister, Mako were sitting. Mako gave them a friendly wave, then went back to cooing over Moji.

"Hey, little bro," Takuma said, coming up behind him, carrying a heavily laden tray, "you getting drinks or not?" His dark-eyes fell on Hana and recognition dawned on his face. "Oh, talking to your crush? Guess those can wait then." He chuckled and walked off.

Haruto felt his face go flush with embarrassment. He was absolutely going to kill his brother!

Tsukushi Monoma has long adjusted to being the wife of a Hero. And really, she's more than happy to be supportive of everything that Neito has done in his career. Especially when he was first starting out and struggling. She's made her own Phantom Thief clothes for her and both of their children. She is her husband's biggest cheerleader, and she couldn't be prouder of him and all of his accomplishments.

But there are some days where she wishes that Neito had maybe pursued another career. Today was one of those days.

She had been making lunch for her youngest child, Takeru. They had been chatting to Tsukushi about the new book they were reading, and Tsukushi has been actively engaging in the conversation with them. Takeru was more reserved than Shiro, but they always talked to Tsukushi about the books they were reading.

The television was on in the background. She hadn't really been paying attention, until she noticed that Takeru was looking at the screen, a horrified look on their face.

Concern flashed across Tsukushi's face. "What's the matter, sweetheart?!

Takeru did speak. They just pointed at the screen. Tsukushi turned to face the television.

She wished she didn't.

"Reports of Nomu attacks are coming in from across Tokyo. Heroes are rushing to the scene, including Deku, Red Riot and Real Steel, Phantom Thief, Ground Zero, Shoto, and Lemillion."

Tsukushi's face paled. She'd heard enough about Nomus from Neito to know that they were absolutely horrifying and nearly impossible to fight. And her husband was out there, fighting them.

Wait...one of the heroes that the reporter had mentioned had been Red Riot. Shiro! Her son was out there, too, fighting these creatures! Of course, Eijiro lived across the street, and was a good friend, and she knew that Shiro was in good hands with him and Tetsutesu, but she couldn't help but feel worried about her son. And Tetsu and Itsuka's daughter was with Neito…

Tsukushi didn't even notice that she shattered the glass in her hand.

"Mom?" Takeru's voice brought her back down to earth. "Are you okay"

Shattered glass was on the floor. Luckily, she hadn't cut her hand up badly, which was good. Just a couple of cuts, and it didn't seem that there were any pieces of glass in her skin. So she wouldn't have to go to the emergency room.

She managed to give them a small smile. "I'm fine, sweetie. I'm just..."

"I'm scared too, Mom."

She wrapped her youngest in a hug. "I can shut it off, if you want."

Takeru shook their head. "No, we can keep it on. I...I want to make sure that Dad and Shiro are safe."

Tsukushi nodded. "Okay."

Tsukushi was driving to the hospital, trying to keep her hands steady at the wheel. She'd gotten the call from Kana: Neito was in the hospital. He was going to be fine, but he had at least two broken ribs, and a hairline fracture in his arm. She'd also been informed that Shiro had been admitted too, some kind of anxiety attack, but he appeared to be fine.

Takeru had a constant pillar of support. They were wise beyond their six years, and Tsukushi was glad that they were with her through everything. She could tell that her youngest was scared, too, but trying to keep a tough face for her.

She pulled into the hospital parking lot. "You ready?"

In a rare show of psychical contact, Takeru extended their hand to her. "Ready."

Hand in hand, she walked hand in hand into the hospital with her youngest.

"Oh thank _goodness_ you're safe!" Tsukushi wrapped Shiro in the tightest hug, kissing his cheek.

"Mom!" Shiro blushed. "I'm fine!"

Tsukushi brushed a stray strand of hand out of her son's forehead. "I know, I was just very worried."

Shiro flushed a little. "I'm sorry, Mom."

"Sweetheart, you have nothing to apologize for. You know I couldn't be prouder or more supportive of you wanting to be a hero. Worrying about you is just something I'll always do, whether you're fifteen or fifty." She kissed the top of his head.

Shiro looked down. "I was so scared, Mom."

Tsukushi gave her son an understanding smile. "I know, sweetheart. And that's okay. Everyone gets scared sometimes."

Shiro nodded. Tsukushi squeezed his hand. "Now let's go check on your father, okay?"

"Neito!" It took everything Tsukushi had to not run and embrace her husband. She'd seen him beaten up before, but nothing like this.

Neito offered her and the kids a small smile. "Ah, there's my wonderful family."

Tsukushi gave him a smile. "Your wonderful family is just glad to see you safe."

"Oh?" He smiled at her playfully. "Did I worry you?"

She laughed. "Yes, you did, and you are never allowed to do that again."

Neito smiled at her. "I'll try my best."

Tsukushi smiled. Her family, while a little beaten up, was safe. And that was all she could ask for.

Shinji was standing outside of Katsumi's hospital room, anxiously fidgeting with his fingers. He didn't regret leaving Shiketsu the sudden way that he did, but from how Red Riot had explained it to him, he still had to call his parents. That was what made him nervous. His father, the number eight hero, Gale Force, had to be on the job, as Shinji knew that his dad would have jumped into action the second the attack happened. Which likely meant that his mother, the number fourteen hero, Hurricane, had been with him.

Shinji didn't know which one was scarier. His dad was a pretty happy, loud, outgoing, cheerful guy for the most part, and his mother, while more reserved, was usually fairly calm and easygoing. Seeing them angry was something he wasn't looking forward to.

Shinji sighed, just as Red Riot stepped out of the room after talking to Katsumi. The hero gave him a smile, and patted him on the shoulder.

"I don't know if I told you this, but what you did was pretty Manly."

Shinji perked up, smiling widely at him "It was?"

Red Riot slapped him on the back. "Hell yeah! Rushing off to make sure your friends were okay is really Manly! However, you don't have a Hero License, so you were risking a lot. But you saved my little girl! Given everything that happened today, it's probably going to get lost in the shuffle. Especially if no one writes it up. I talked to your parents, and made clear to tell them that, so hopefully, they go easy on you."

Shinji laughed. "Yeah... hopefully."

Red Riot gave him a hug. "I gotta go check on my husband, but feel free to hang here until your parents get here, okay?"

Shinji nodded, not really having any words for once in his life. "Yeah, okay."

Shinji had managed to track down Izzy, Mika, and Shota while he waited for his parents. Izzy, while exhausted, was fine. Mika had gotten a couple of bruises, but said that he could give her a full body inspection if he wanted to. Unfortunately, her parents arrived (her mother remarkable unscathed and her father covered in bandages) and kicked him out before he could. As for Shota, well, Shinji couldn't remember ever seeing his little friend so upset. Shinji hated that there didn't seem to be anything he could do to keep him from blaming himself for what happened to Ground Zero.

Shinji was making his way to check on Katsumi again when he felt a gust of wind, and found himself being locked into a hug, and picked off up the ground.

"I AM SO ANGRY AND PROUD OF YOU!" Dad's voice bellowed in his ears, setting him down.

Shinji took a moment to catch his breath, looking at his father, who appeared to be smiling...while also fighting an eye twitch.

"Hey, Dad," Shinji said sheepishly. "I know that probably wasn't the smartest idea, but I was so worried about my girlfriend and my friends and I-"

His father laughed, whacking him on the back. "I SHOULD BE FLYING IN RAGE AT YOU FOR DOING SOMETHING SO RECKLESS BUT YOU SAVED KATSUMI! I AM FILLED WITH FATHERLY PRIDE!"

Shinji beamed. Dad was proud of him. That meant he wasn't going to get in trouble, right?

He spoke too soon.

"SHINJI YOARASHI!"

An angry female voice came from the hallway, and peaking around Dad, Shinji could see his mother, Sakura, walking towards them. Though she was significantly shorter than the both of them, the look in her eyes was one of pure rage.

Oh, she was _**pissed**_.

Dad laughed putting an arm around Mom's shoulder. "Now, Sakura, I was just telling Shinji how proud we are of him, and how we're not angry."

Mom gave Dad a _look_. "Oh, we're mad."

"Okay, we're mad...but he's not in trouble!"

Mom narrowed her eyes. "Oh, he's in trouble." She turned her gaze to Shinji. "You. Are. GROUNDED."

Shinji looked at his feet, feeling like he was suddenly five years old. "Yes, Mom."

Dad laughed. "But honey, he saved Katsumi, and we should be proud!"

Mom's face softened a little bit. "Of course I'm proud. Shinji, what you did was very brave  
However, what you did was also reckless and stupid. You're just a student, and you don't have a Hero License yet. You could've been arrested. You could've gotten yourself and Katsumi seriously hurt or killed. These kinds of actions have to consequences, so you're grounded for two months."

Shinji gasped. "Holy hurricanes! Two months?!"

"Do you want your original punishment? Because it was going to be a year on my way over here."

"Two months is fine."

Mom smiled, wrapping him in a hug. "I thought so. Now, I'll let you say goodbye to your friends, but after that, we're leaving. Okay?"

Shinji nodded. He could take being grounded. In the end, he knew he did the right thing helping his friends when they needed him.

David Togata didn't get worried easily. His parents often said that out of his siblings, he was the most rational. He's seen his father and his Uncle Izuku get injured a fair amount of times, and they always made it looked like it wasn't something to really worry about. No matter how bad things got, you just carried on with a smile.

David wasn't smiling right now. He had been in the workshop with Ms. Hatsume as part of his Support Internship when the news about the Nomu attacks came in. Right away, the pair had turned on the television, where shots of Dad and Uncle Izuku fighting one of them came in. Dad looked like his hand had been broken, and Uncle Izuku looked more stressed out that he'd even seem him.

Actually, David had never seen either one of them look stressed.

Shots panned in and out of different heroes around the city fighting the Nomus. His oldest brother, Tamaki, fighting the Nomus with The Voice and Glamour, his body cackling with green energy. His sister, Nejire, with the Laughing Man, downtown.

Ms. Hatsume stared at the screen, her face pale. "My babies..."

That was right. Both of her children, the twins, were out doing their Internships, as well. So was her husband.

David reach forward and grabbed her hand. They were going to have a rough couple of hours.

David arrived at the hospital with Ms. Hatsume. They gotten reports that her husband had been admitted, along with David's father and siblings. None of them had any major injuries, but still, the worry was present. When they got in the lobby, Ms. Hatsume gave him a quick hug and wished him luck, before rushing off to find his family. He told himself it was the standard response after a big Hero battle, to get checked out. They had to all be okay.

David found his family in a hospital room where his sister was being treated. His father had his broken hand wrapped up. Tamaki had a few scratches, but that Quirk of his made him really sturdy, when he wasn't breaking his bones. Nejire was in the bed, her ankle elevated and in a cast, and a bandage around her head. His mother sat next her on the bed, stroking her hair.

Dad beamed at him. "David!" He sprung up from his seat and wrapped him in a hug. "It looks like the whole family is here now!"

David smiled, returning the hug. "I came with Ms. Hatsume." He looked over at Nejire. "What happened to your ankle?"

Nejire giggled. "It's nothing! It's just a little broken. And I might have gotten a teeny tiny concussion."

Tamaki smirked at him. "Nejire's on painkillers. She's super loopy right now."

"I am not!" Nejire pouted at him.

David rolled his eyes. His siblings were ridiculous sometimes. "Glad no one got super injured."

Mom smiled. "That's the best we can hope for. Everyone's a little singed up, but we'll be okay.'

Nejire giggled again. "Well, I better heal up soon, because I cannot take Hayai on the date with my ankle like this."

At the word "date", Dad's eyes lit up. "Ooooooh, you got a date!?"

David laughed. Dad was constantly trying to set all three of them up with someone.

Nejire started going on about a girl in her class she'd asked out. Tamaki and Mom laughed, teasing Dad about being too involved in his kids' love life.

David smiled, finding a chair and relaxing into it. Yeah, his family could be a little much sometimes, but he wouldn't trade them for anything, and he was glad they were safe.

Izuku was tired, bone wearily tired. Not from the physical exertion of the morning—the power of One for All made sure he didn't feel that. He was connected to it on a level not even All Might had ever achieved and had had ample opportunity to build its power over the years. Certainly, his joints ached. They always did. And his right arm always hurt, no matter what else he did. Even with his mastery of his inherited Quirk, the old damage he'd done to his body could not be undone. But he had learned to live with that pain, to smile and to embrace all the good that was in his life.

That was not why he was tired.

No, he was tired in ways that went way beyond the physical.

Ochaco was resting peacefully in the hospital bed. They'd allowed her to be up to check on Katsumi, but insisted she get more rest. She'd taken a nasty blow to the head, but was expected to make a full recovery and be back in action in maybe a couple weeks. He'd sent Toshi, Hana, and Mako down to the cafeteria to get something to eat, leaving him alone to sit by her bedside, alone with his thoughts.

He wore scrubs, offered by the hospital, since his costume had been covered in blood. Someone from his Agency had come by and collected it for cleaning. Either that or he'd handed it off to someone who was now selling it on MeBay. Things had been a bit of a blur after he'd arrived.

It looked like there were going to be a lot of people on home rest in their neighborhood, at least for a time. Denki, Ochaco, Neito, and, of course, Kacchan… And more across the city. So many of his friends had been hurt.

There were burdens that came with being the Number One (and occasionally Number Two, when Mirio had a particularly impressive run of things) Hero. And there were burdens that came with being the Symbol of Hope. Not the Symbol of Peace, like Dad had been, but the Symbol of Hope. Of inspiring others to believe, not in him, but that evil could be beaten and that good men and women could stand up, that everyone had the potential within them to make the world a better place, in some way. It demanded much of his time, exposed his family to significant scrutiny.

Before he had finished his third year of U.A., he and his friends had broken the back of the League of Villains and put an end to the legacy of All for One forever. The same year he had lost his father in a plane crash. It had been a hell of a year. But it had also rocketed him towards the top on a meteoric trajectory that he still couldn't believe, even decades later.

They'd built a better world. One where the threat of Villains was not so constant. They'd settled down, raised families, and looked to the future of a new generation of Heroes.

In an instant, when the Nomu had appeared, the all fears of childhood had returned. They had suspected that someone was making a play for power. The Quirk Virus, the theft of the Nomu corpse, the breaking of Plague out of prison (Had he so badly misjudged the man? An escape made no sense at all…), it all added up to something far more sinister and larger than any of them had grappled with in years.

And then the messages and reports had started pouring in. From various Agency dispatches, from news drones, even from men and women on the street. It hadn't just been the one. It had been so many more. The Heroes of Tokyo and surrounding wards had come together to fight the Nomu, but they had paid a terrible price for it. So many of his friends were injured. Even Ochaco… And Kacchan…

Despite what he had told himself as a child and a teenager, he and Kacchan had not always been friends. It had taken him a long time to realize the way he'd been treated had been far from okay. But the two of them had made true amends and become real friends. He'd even been Kacchan's best man at his wedding.

So many of their children had seen action during the morning's events. They'd been _extraordinarily_ lucky that none of them had been seriously injured. Not like their own Internships. But almost all of them had been far too close to the action for his comfort. Toshi claimed he was fine, but Izuku suspected he was putting on a brave face. And Haimawari and Kocho didn't even have the kind of context for this kind of thing that Toshi did. He hoped they weren't scared off becoming Heroes. There was so much potential in both of them.

He, his friends, and the other Heroes who had taken their children on as Interns were handing them back to U.A. as a broken group. But he knew Aizawa and the staff would do what they could for them. His alma mater took the mental health of its students very seriously now. As parents, they would do their part too. They had lived through experiences just as terrifying. Maybe their words of wisdom would be enough.

The news was saying that he had saved the city this morning. And maybe he had. But he hadn't been there for his friend when it had mattered most. Hadn't been there for a _lot_ of his friends when they'd been hurt. For his _wife_. What was the point of having all this power, of being a Hero, if he couldn't help those closest to him when it really mattered?

They would all tell him that he couldn't, _shouldn't_ be everywhere. That was the kind of thinking that had led society to depend upon Dad more than it should have and had made it vulnerable when he'd no longer been capable of being its pillar. And yes, it was likely his actions had kept Kacchan from dying in the streets. That probably would have broken poor young Shota even more than he already was.

What kind of Hero, what kind of Symbol was he, if an evil great enough to do all this still existed?

They could tell him he had done his best, that he had saved the city. It didn't mean he didn't feel like a failure all the same.

Like…

It made him feel like…

Like a useless deku.


	58. Chapter 53: Aftermath Part 3

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 53: Aftermath Part 3**

Eri was absolutely exhausted by the time she returned to U.A, with the sun setting. A long morning of using both her Quirk and her medical training on the civilians and Heroes brought to Mustafar General, then making her way deeper into Tokyo to check the Heroes, friends, and students there, had left her with a weariness she hadn't felt since cramming for her medical school exams. She'd spent the rest of the day there, pitching in where she could, even if she'd almost completely exhausted her Quirk.

She operated almost on autopilot as she entered the small on-campus apartment she shared with her husband, finding her way to the bedroom and collapsing on the bed in an instant, not even bothering to undress. Blissful darkness started to overtake her almost immediately. The stresses of the day slowly began to ebb away.

She didn't regret that she'd used up enough of her Quirk earlier, that she couldn't help Katsuki. Dad had taught her long ago that she could make herself crazy if she thought too much on those she couldn't help. When she'd announced that she'd wanted to be a Medical Hero and help people, he'd been firm in getting her to understand that she had limits and that she couldn't let doing that consume every moment of her life.

But some part of her still wondered if she couldn't be doing more. Every day out there, someone was getting injured, somewhere. She could heal that. And if she rested long enough…

No. Going down that route wasn't rational. Going down that route lay madness. She should just lay here and let the darkness take her.

"You know, you should probably change out of that costume. Not that I don't appreciate the way your ass looks in it…"

Eri's eyes snapped open and she turned her head to see her husband standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe. He smiled in that charming, boyish way he had, like every time he was seeing her for the very first time. She stretched out and threw a pillow at him, but he caught it. "You are the worst," she said, though she obviously didn't mean it.

The smile quickly gave way to a more somber tone. "I heard about Bakugo and the kids. And we've been watching the news. How bad did it really get out there?" He crossed the room and sat down on the bed next to her, rubbing her back in slow, lazy circles.

"Bad," she said, quietly. "We got lucky that as few people died as they did. As it is, a bunch of Heroes are going to be out of action for a while."

"And the kids?" Kota asked.

"I didn't see all of them… but I know Dad's going to recommend sessions with Hound Dog for anyone who saw any kind of action. Especially Shota and Katsumi. And Monoma, too, for that matter."

"Poor kids," he said, still rubbing her back. "Trauma like that doesn't fade easily."

"It doesn't," she agreed. She'd lost track of the number of times she'd woken up in the middle of the night, screaming. When she was little, Dad and Mom would come running into her room, holding her, telling her everything was going to be all right. Dad had sometimes had to activate his Quirk, but she was never frightened of him.

When attending U.A., it had been her friends, like Rinko and Hanako, rushing into her room and coming to her rescue. They'd comforted her and brought her tea and done everything they could to make her feel safe again, reminding her of her own strength. They weren't afraid of her Quirk, even though she was absolutely positive she took a month off of Rinko once.

Now, it was her husband. He had his own terrors and his own nightmares. And when they needed to, they held each other. He was strong and kind and gentle and she was never a monster in her eyes. He reminded her so much of Mirio and Deku, her first heroes. Now, he was her hero, each and every day.

She rolled over, so that she was looking up at him. "Tell me something good," she said. It was their ritual, whenever things got bad for either of them. They'd ask the other to tell them something good that had happened.

His hand moved to stroking her hair. "After we got the okay to stand down, I managed to get Himari's bed put together. Only took me three hours."

Hard to believe they'd be bringing that sweet little girl home in just a few days. They were going to get to be parents. They both had a lot of love to give, but Eri… she'd been so worried about passing on her Quirk. She believed she had done a lot of good with it, but it was a frighteningly dangerous one, especially in the hands of a child. And a frighteningly tempting one for those looking to use it for evil.

Eri knew how to protect herself. And she lived in one of the safest places in Japan. But she would not expose a child to that kind of risk.

So adoption it was.

She gave her husband a smile. Her first one in many, many hours. "Only three hours? Were you following the directions this time?"

He stuck his tongue out at her. "I'm not that bad."

"You're not," she agreed.

"I can follow directions."

"Then follow this one and just hold me."

Eventually, Kota had convinced her to get out of her costume and they'd fallen asleep in each other's arms. Unfortunately, it didn't last long. Someone pounding on their door woke them with a jolt.

"Ugh…" Kota groaned. "What the hell?"

Eri tried to cover her head with a pillow. "Think they'll just give up and go away?"

The pounding increased. "Doesn't sound like it," Kota told her.

She sighed. All she'd wanted was to sleep through to the next morning. The clock told her it was a little past midnight. Not quite the same thing. She'd been well taught, both by Dad and by her medical schooling, to catch sleep when she could, under some of the most stressful of circumstances. But that didn't mean she lamented its loss any less.

"We're coming!" she shouted in the general direction of the door as she tied on a bathrobe. If they were trying to wake her up in the middle of the night, it probably meant a medical emergency, a student or one of the staff. She was the staff doctor after all. She really ought to ask about putting in for an actual nurse. Maybe Katsuma wanted a part-time job?

She opened the door and found Midnight standing outside the door. "Aunt Nemuri?" she asked. She looked tired, wearing a fluffy bathrobe and fuzzy slippers, which wasn't surprising, given the time and the stress they'd all been under today. As much as the woman claimed to still be a party girl at heart, she also professed a great need for her beauty sleep. "What's going on? Is one of the students hurt…?"

Midnight shook her head. "It's Nezu," she said. "He was exchanging messages with me about plans going forward after the attacks today and…"

She held up her phone, it showed what looked like a normal exchange of messages, until it descended into gibberish on Nezu's end. It was less than five minutes ago. It was entirely possible he had dropped his phone or perhaps spilled tea on it, but then he would have let her know what was going on some other way.

Eri took a breath, then nodded. "Give me three minutes to get dressed and grab my medical bag."

She managed it in one and a half.

The living arrangements of the teaching staff at U.A. varied. Mister Yagi lived off-campus, with Izuku's mother. Dad had an on-campus residence in the teacher's dorms, as did Battle Fist, but both also lived off campus with their spouses when time allowed (Battle Fist was, in fact, currently off campus with her husband and daughter.). Super Ball, Hawkeye, Skyline, Hopper, FireFox, and Figure Sk8 lived in the teachers' dorms full time, as did many of the second and third year teachers. Rikido had an off-campus apartment and Power Loader had one off the main workshop. While Aunt Nemuri did have a place with Uncle Hizashi, she also spent the majority of the week in the smaller subset of apartments offered to teachers. She had one, Principal Nezu had one, Hound Dog had one as he… was not especially suited to long-term close cohabitation, Recovery Girl had the one next to theirs, and as a married couple, she and Kota had one.

Nezu's door was only two down from their own. Kota and Aunt Nemuri behind her, she pounded heavily on it. "Principal Nezu! Principal Nezu!"

There was no answer and Eri felt a growing sense of dread. Fortunately, as the school physician, with the potential need to access any building or room, she had a key which could unlock any door on campus. She quickly stuck it in the keyhole in Nezu's door and… it did not turn.

"Him and his paranoia," Aunt Nemuri growled. She looked at Kota. "Can you break it down? Fire hose it or something?"

"Only if you want it to go flying off its hinges," he replied. "I can get Hound Dog. He can probably kick it down."

Eri just held out her hand. "Give me your hairpins, Aunt Nemuri."

To her credit, Aunt Nemuri didn't protest or complain. She pulled the hairpins holding her hair up and handed them over, shaking her long, dark hair loose. Eri supposed there were some things she just couldn't turn off. Regardless of the demonstration, it didn't take long for Eri to defeat the lock. She hadn't had to use that particular set of skills in a long while, but they were on the long list of things Dad had insisted she learn how to do and keep in practice on. It actually wasn't a complicated lock. True, it rendered the lock inoperable and broke the hairpins, but that could be dealt with later.

Of course, knowing Nezu, she suspected that if anyone wanted undue access to his home, he'd already accounted for it and made plans accordingly. She wouldn't be surprised if he'd always intended for her to get in this way. Carefully, she opened the door and they slipped inside. "Principal Nezu?" she called out again. "It's me, Eri! I'm got Kota and Nemuri with me."

No answer. That wasn't good. Worry began to creep further into her brain, as Eri desperately tried to recall what she knew about Nezu's biology. She'd reviewed his medical records before—all staff were required to submit to an annual physical, even if not one administered by her—but she'd often suspected there was much those were leaving out. All she knew was that every year, the paperwork turned up. Whether he was fabricating them or had his own medical specialist, she did not know.

Nezu's apartment was much like him, tidy and neat. The carpets were plush, the furniture a dark wood. Tasteful art decorated the walls and somewhere, Eri could hear a grandfather clock ticking away. There were several bookshelves, each of them filled with books. Many looked old and leatherbound, and many looked to be in foreign languages.

"Nezu!" Aunt Nemuri shouted. "Nezu! Where are you, you damn rodent?!"

Again, no answer followed.

Kota walked through a doorway into what looked like a small office. "Eri…"

She quickly followed. It was a miniature replica of his office at the school, with a big desk covered in paperwork. There was even a cup of tea, still slightly steaming. His desktop computer was still on. It looked like he'd been working. There was an oversized, leather chair, its padding thick. It had been pushed back from the desk awkwardly, up against the wall.

Carefully, she moved around the desk. There, on the ground, limbs spread out awkwardly, was Nezu, clad in pinstriped pajamas, a long cap on the ground near his head, a cellphone near his outstretched hand. His beady black eyes were still open, staring at nothing. Eri placed a hand on his neck, checking for a pulse.

Nothing.

Carefully, she opened her bag and slid the small mirror there from it, placing it in front of his face. If he was still breathing, it would fog.

Nothing.

Finally, she pulled the portable heart rate monitor from the bag, pulled up his tiny pajama top, and attached the leads. Switching on the device, a steady, high pitched tone filled the room.

She switched it off.

One of Eri's hands went to her horn. It had grown a little since she'd slept. How much could she turn back? Maybe a ten minutes? How long did brain activity persist…?

No. She'd never used her power on someone who wasn't still living. She didn't want to think about what might happen if she tried.

"I'm sorry," she said. She turned to look at Kota and Aunt Nemuri.

"He's dead."

A part of Eri wished she'd hadn't sent Kimiko Ojiro home with her family. The girl's Quirk would have been infinitely more useful and accurate than the limited imaging technology the medical building had. But Eri made do. She didn't have the facilities to do an autopsy and her she was out of practice with pathology anyway, but she could at least get an idea of what had happened.

Dad, Kota, and Midnight filled the waiting room. The other teachers had been roused and were patrolling campus, just in case this had been part of an invasion or attack. After the way today had gone, she wouldn't have been surprised.

Still, she appreciated the presence of family. Nezu had meant quite a lot to her. He'd understood what it was like to be thought of an as nothing more than an object for experimentation. He'd known what it was like to be helpless and tortured, without anyone you could trust. He'd known what it was like to be offered hope, to thirst for kindness even if you didn't understand the word.

Dad inclined his head slightly. "Eri?" he prompted, kindly.

"I can't do an actual autopsy, of course," she began, "but with the examination I was able to do, my opinion is natural causes, a heart attack. Probably brought upon by extreme stress and exasperated by his age."

No one had ever actually been sure how old Nezu was, not even Nezu himself. And no one had been quite sure what his lifespan was. Most people hadn't even been sure _what_ he was. But he had had been at U.A. in some form or another for more than thirty-five years and had been a friend of Mister Yagi's for even longer than that. Nezu had certainly begun to slow down more in recent years, his fur no longer quite so lustrous, dependent upon a cane to get around.

"He started working when the news broke about the Nomu attacks," Aunt Nemuri said. "And was still working at midnight. I'm not sure he stopped all day. Every time I checked in on him, he was thinking and planning. I think he wanted to be sure we could weather whatever was to come."

She clenched a fist. "Dammit. I should have known he was pushing himself too hard. I should have made him take a break." Her shoulders started to shake tears began to roll down her face, forcing her to remove her glasses to wipe her eyes.

Dad gave her a look. Not completely unkind, as he gently patted her shoulder, but still within the realm of looks he usually handed out. "Were any of us ever able to get him to change his mind? He thinks—thought—in ways and circles us mere humans couldn't possibly understand."

She could tell by the way his eyes were twitching that he too, was fighting back tears.

"I know I always felt dumber just being in the same room with him," Kota added.

Aunt Nemuri just shook her head. "Somehow, I always thought he'd be here forever. I don't know what we'll do without him."

"We'll need to think of something, at least in the short term," Dad said. "Until we can get a new principal, you'll have to be in charge, Nemui."

She gave him a look like he'd just sworn at her or, worse, brought up her age. When he didn't flinch, her gaze relaxed. "I suppose I should have expected that. Comes with the Vice-Principal job."

"Think you'll get put in charge permanently?" Kota asked.

"Over my dead body," Aunt Nemuri said. "I'm good with people. It's why I took the job when Nezu offered it to me. To help be a bridge between the teachers, administration, and students. I couldn't possibly think big enough to do what he did."

That and, Eri reflected, she'd confessed she'd been getting too old to continue to operate in her usual Hero attire.

"That can be settled another time," Dad said. "We'll all have enough on our plates. The students will be returning tonight. Many of them will need therapy sessions. The staff who are off campus will need to be briefed. And we'll need to make funeral arrangements for Nezu."

"Did he have any family we should contact?" Kota asked. "I know he was friends with All Might…"

"The school was his family," Aunt Nemuri said. "It was his life."

Eri looked at the time. No use going back to bed now. It was going to be a long day.

His grandchildren were all sleeping under his roof, while his son stayed overnight with their mother in the hospital, where she was well on her way to a full recovery. His wife was still sleeping when he rose and he'd been reluctant to leave her warm embrace, but he had always been an early riser and continued to be so even now.

Thoughts of his students still weighed heavily on his mind. So many of them had been caught up in the action of the previous day. He could only hope he could find the right words to comfort them and give them the strength to move forward. They were strong kids, good kids, most of them brought up by some of the finest Heroes he had ever known. But they were children all the same, even as Hero students. They did not deserve what they had been thrust into.

The ringing of his cell phone, his son's voice announcing "I am here!", broke the silence of the kitchen. The news on the other end of the call was not good.

"Yes, thank you for telling me, Aizawa. Please let me know if I can be of service."

Toshinori Yagi was familiar with the concept of loss. As a very young and very Quirkless boy, he had lost his family all too soon. As an all-too young man, he had lost the closest thing to a mother he had ever really had. As an adult, he had made peace with his own impending death. He lived with the knowledge of those he could not save, of the times he was too slow or too late. As an older man, he had stood by the boy who had become like a son to him, while he buried his father. And as an old man, he had said good bye to his own mentor.

Now, he could only stare dumbly at the phone in his hand, his mind still reeling from the news Aizawa had given him.

"Everything all right, Toshi?" asked a voice from the kitchen doorway. There, Inko stood, yawning.

Every time he saw her, Toshinori was aware of just how lucky a man he was. For almost all of his life, he'd thought the things of a normal man's life were forever beyond him. He had so many blessings these days. A wife, a son, three beautiful grandchildren. There were so many reasons he should not have had them, so many reasons why he should never have made it to be an old man.

To say that all these years later, he was still head over heels in love was not an exaggeration.

"No," he said, softly. "That was Aizawa. Nezu… Nezu passed away during the night. A heart attack, they said."

Tears began to well up in his wife's eyes. Like their son, she cried easily, felt others' pain easily. "Oh… oh no…" She crossed the kitchen and put her arms around him. Had it not been so serious, the disparity in their sizes would have made it almost comical looking. "I'm so sorry, Toshi."

He wrapped his arms around her. "I'd _told_ him he needed to take it easier, but he always insisted he knew what he was doing! I should have tried harder, should have convinced him to take a break…"

Inko broke the hold, giving him a stern look. She jabbed a finger into his chest. "Now you listen to me, Toshi. _None_ of this is your fault. Any choices Nezu made are on him, not you."

"But.." he began.

"No buts," she told him. "This is not your responsibility. You still carry enough on your shoulders as it is."

"You know, you're really quite forceful when you want to be. But no, you're right… It's just…"

Inko simply looked into his eyes, giving him time to gather his thoughts.

"There was a time when I did not have many friends. There was Naomasa, of course, but very few who I could let close to me. Nezu was one of those few. I think I've known him longer than anyone. It seemed like he'd always be with us."

His mind raced back to the first time he had met Nezu, newly escaped from his tormentors, scavenging for scraps in a city park. He hadn't believed his eyes at first, the strange creature seemingly beyond even the variations Quirks had wrought on the human form. But he'd offered him food and tried engaging him in conversation. Nezu had been distrustful and fearful, but had taken the food and spoken two simple words. "Thank you."

Later, when Nezu had walked into a police station and applied for asylum, Toshinori had been his one phone call. How he had managed to associate a random stranger with the Number One Hero, he wasn't sure, but he put little past his old friend's intelligence. He had put all his political capital behind the petition for Nezu to gain rights and citizenship. Combined with Nezu's own stunning legal arguments, it had been enough.

First working with the police and then with Heroes, Nezu's intelligence and commitment to justice had proven itself time and time again. He proved himself to be a true friend and one of the few people to have earned Toshinori's complete trust. When he'd entered the field of education, becoming first a teacher at and then the principal of U.A., Toshinori had been surprised, but he'd long learned by that point not to question Nezu's decisions. Nezu operated… had operated on a level few could understand or keep up with.

The world would be lesser for his loss.

She nodded, reaching up to stroke his cheek. He obligingly bent down so she wouldn't have to stretch. "He was a good man. He's going to be missed by a lot of people. Do they need you at the school?"

Toshinori shook his head. "No. Nemuri and Aizawa are taking charge for today."

"Good. Then you'll come with us when we go to see Ochaco today?"

He nodded. "I will. They're supposed to be sending her home today, right?"

"They are. Izuku said she'd have to take it easy for a while, but she's going to be fine."

She took his hands in hers and gave them a squeeze. "You know I'm here for you, Toshi, no matter what. You lost a friend today. I know that hurts. But you can lean on me all you want."

Toshinori allowed himself the smallest of smiles. The world was a little emptier, but there was still so much in it he was thankful for.

Enji Todoroki, the disgraced former Number One Hero known as Endeavor, walked into the hospital, doing his best to avoid coming into contact with anyone. He didn't really go out much these days. Not since the horrible things that he'd done to his family back in his younger days had come to life, forcing him into retirement to avoid bringing further shame to his family.

In the end, Enji had seen it as the right thing to do. He had been horrible to his family, treating them more like a minor nuisance than being a proper husband and father. He'd driven Toya to become the villain Dabi, ignored Fuyumi and Natsuo and written them off as useless, pushed Shota to hate him, and laid hands on his wife, Rei, and pushed her over the edge. He had tried to be better once he became the Number One Hero officially, to be someone that his family could be proud of and make up for the horrible things he had done, but the damage had been done. When his crimes came to life, he stepped down. He might have not wanted to, but he knew it was the right thing to do.

He didn't speak to his family much after that. Well, they didn't really want much to do with him. Fuyumi was the only one who really talked him, though her husband, the former Ingenium, made it very clear that he absolutely detested his father-in-law. Enji took it. He didn't blame his son-in-law for disliking him. Natsuo had told him very colorfully where he thought his father could go when Enji reached out to try and make amends with him. And as for Shoto….

After his mistakes with Toya, he should be thankful that Shoto didn't end up the same. Yes, his youngest son had made quite the name for himself. As the Number Three Hero, Enji couldn't help but feel overwhelming pride for his son. After everything he'd been through, after what Enji had put his son through, Shoto had succeeded and put his childhood behind him. Though he hadn't spoken to him since his granddaughter, Izumi, was a toddler.

To Enji's effort, he'd tried to repair his damaged relationship with Shoto. Shoto's wife, Momo had been helpful in that. Then Izumi was born, after an extremely rough pregnancy. Izumi was born into the world frail and premature. No one was sure if she would make it past the first few weeks of infancy. In a misguided attempt to comfort his son, Enji had said that Shoto and Momo could try again.

Looking back, he knew that he did not take the most tactful approach, and fully deserved the punch in the face that Shoto had given him when he'd said that. In truth, Enji had been worried for his granddaughter's life. He was often at the hospital, though he tried to take different shifts from Shoto. But Izumi pulled through, and her parents took her home.

Enji doted on his granddaughter, and she became the apple of his eye. He and Shoto started to repair things, slowly, for Izumi. He talked to Rei, and felt that he was making up for the horrible things that he did to her with each conversation that they had. His life was getting better. Slowly, he felt like he was earning forgiveness that he knew he truly didn't deserve. He spent as much time with Izumi as his good, his face lighting up every time she beamed at him with her little smile and rushed towards his calling out "Grandpa!"

Then Izumi had gotten sick when she turned four, and she nearly died. It was Enji's fault. There was no getting around that. The Villain who was responsible for getting her illness knew that he would do anything for his granddaughter. They offered him two things: the cure for his granddaughter if Endeavor came clean about his abuse and mistreatment of his family, or they would go public about the worse things he did with his Hero career. Though at the time, Enji had not seen himself ready to retire, he'd felt like he had no other choice. He came clean about his past, and retired. He'd tried to tell himself he'd been nearly ready for it anyway, having steadily declined in the rankings, feeling the age in his bones more and more.

The thing worse than retiring though, was losing his relationship with Izumi forever. His past misdeeds, beyond even what he had done to his family, had made his granddaughter a target, a bargaining chip of a desperate man. After he came out publically, it had brought old feelings to the surface, old memories. Shoto snapped, and Enji had the worst argument with his son he could possibly ever have. And even though Enji didn't want to lose his granddaughter, he was willing to respect his son, no matter how much it pained him.

Enji allowed himself to fade from public life after that. He cut all ties with almost everyone. Hawks occasionally stopped by to visit, but he always turned him away. He saw Fuyumi once in a while, and she had allowed him to see her daughter Kukio, but for the most part, he very rarely left his home. Natsuo did not allow him to see his children. And he hadn't ever seen Toya's daughter with that vile Toga woman.

It was better for everyone that he stayed away, stayed out of public life. It was better for his family. Enji was a shell of his former self, and truly a broken man. And he deserved every part of it.

He did try to keep up with Izumi where he could. When he heard that she had made it to UA, he watched the Sports Festival for the first time since Kukio had been a student. He couldn't have been prouder when, despite all of her previous limitations, she made it as far in the Sports Festival as she did. His granddaughter, the apple of his eye, was going to make a fine Hero someday.

He caught word of the Nomu attack when he turned on the news. He watched footage of Shoto, Momo, and Izumi fighting in different areas. And then Enji did something he never did. Making sure to cover himself up so no one would recognize him, he left the house, heading for the hospital that his family had been admitted to.

Shoto was fine, but being checked for Quirk Exhaustion. His daughter-in-law, Momo, had suffered some injuries, but would be fine. It was Izumi he was concerned about. Though she had not been injured, she had over extended herself, and was being treated for Quirk Exhaustion, as well.

Izumi was sleeping when Enji arrived at her room. That was good. He didn't want her awake to see him. If she saw him, she'd have questions, and he would have to tell her not to tell Shoto. He didn't want her keeping secrets from her father.

Enji hadn't seen Izumi since she'd gotten sick as a child. She looked so much like Rei. He smiled softly. She truly was becoming a strong young woman, overcoming every obstacle set in front of her. He couldn't be prouder. Enji gently reached down, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. He wished he could talk to her, but he knew he couldn't.

Enji set down a stuffed rabbit down on the table next to her. He didn't leave a card or anything. But he'd gotten her a very similar looking toy when she was younger, and it had been her favorite thing. Even though she was a teenager now, he hoped she still liked stuffed animals.

Izumi started to stir, and Enji knew it was his time to leave. He'd check on Shoto, and then leave. They wouldn't know that he had been there, but just knowing that his family was safe, would give him some small comfort.

It was more then he deserved.


	59. Chapter 54: Back to School

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 54: Back to School**

The mood in the common room was rather somber. The events of their Internships and the Nomu attack on the city still obviously weighed heavily on everyone's minds. But Class 1-A had returned to U.A. all the same. Even in the wake of chaos, their parents had insisted. U.A. was one of the safest places in Japan and future Heroes could not be cowed by such threats in any case.

Iasamu… honestly wasn't as scared as he thought he'd be. True, that creature, the Nomu, had been absolutely frightening. But he'd been ready to fight it all the same. He wasn't entirely sure what he would have done, but all three of them—him, Midoriya, and Kocho—had been ready to fight it, like they'd moved without thinking. Thank goodness Deku had recovered in time to take care of it instead, though. But maybe a good blast would have done something?

He'd always wondered what he was really doing here. Trying to prove himself, trying to be even more than his parents had been. He'd often wondered if he could keep up with the kids of actual Heroes. Between winning the Sports Festival and his Internship—freaking _Deku_ believing in him!—he felt like he'd maybe made a turn in that regard.

It hadn't even been a question if he'd return to U.A. He'd set himself on this path and intended to see it through. Dad hadn't been surprised and Mom hadn't taken much convincing, though both of them had hugged him and cried and told him they were proud of him.

And after all that… maybe it was time to think about not keeping secrets from his friends.

That didn't mean it wasn't a frightening world out there. So many Heroes had gotten hurt fighting those Nomu (Even Dad had briefly gotten into the fight, giving Ingenium a few extra seconds to recover, something Mom had yelled at him for risking.). A lot of them would probably be out for at least a week, according to most news sources, some of them for even longer. And then there was what happened to Ground Zero…

Isamu plopped down on one of the couches, next to Tokoyami, Midoriya, and Sora Iida. Tokoyami actually had Frog-Shadow out, the familiar happily perched on one of her shoulders. Usually, she kept her Quirk under wraps, but she'd let Frog-Shadow out to play all evening for once. Hadn't even argued with her all that much compared to usual. Iida was sitting as close to Midoriya as possible without actually sitting in his lap, pressed right up against him with one arm around him, her hand on his leg. Midoriya had an arm _almost_ around her, his hand hovering just above her hip, shaking. She was so close that he was pressed against her… chest. He had to fight to keep from chuckling at that. Midoriya could face down a Nomu but got the shakes around his girlfriend. Of course, given how he flailed like a maniac whenever Mineta got flirtatious, he was hardly Mister Smooth himself.

Speaking of girlfriends, though he wasn't sure they were really there yet, he'd been to see Kana Tetsutetsu already, and stammered his own way through that. It was still hard to believe an amazing girl like her was interested in a guy like him. She'd come out of everything on Saturday safely, though her mentor, Phantom Thief, had been hurt in the fighting. Still, she'd expressed concern and sympathy when he'd talked about how close to the start of things he'd been. According to her, Class 1-B had mostly been further from the action than 1-A had ended up, though she was worried about Shiro Monoma, who hadn't yet made it back to school, even though he hadn't been hurt. He didn't much like what he had seen of the guy, but she'd seemed concerned, so he'd expressed his sympathy as well.

Around the common room, most of 1-A had broken into their usual friendship groups. Isamu could see Kirishima-Bakugo in a corner, talking softly to Izumi, looking about as broken as he'd ever seen her. In fact, she looked like she was on the verge of tears. He didn't blame her, not with what was going on with her family. He wished there was something he could say, but she was unlikely to accept sympathy from him. She barely tolerated his presence on a good day. Midoriya and Izumi were about the only people she really seemed to like.

But it was very strange, seeing her seem so broken. She was angry and aggressive, yes, but she was also one of the boldest people he knew, always throwing herself headlong into anything and everything. That she hadn't yelled at anyone all evening was just… wrong.

The other couch was occupied by Ojiro, Sato, Sero, and Tensei Iida. None of them seemed as lively as usual. Ojiro wasn't even smacking Sero, which had to be a first. Sato in particular looked particularly down, though Ojiro seemed to be trying to cheer him up.

Sero was showing his boyfriend something on his phone and Isamu recalled the male Iida had briefly gone viral a few days ago, before everything had broken out. Perhaps it was something about that? Sero was extraordinarily media savvy, after all.

Mineta and Kaminari occupied another pair of chairs. Mineta seemed the closest to her usual self of anyone. She was making gestures with her hands that seemed to be outlining someone's shape, with particular emphasis on that person's rear end. Isamu caught a brief mention of "so freaking hot" from Mineta, while Kaminari just rolled her eyes at her friend's antics.

Koda, Shoji, and Aoyama occupied the other table. Isamu had heard than none of them had seen much action, with Koda having even been too far away to get involved. A few months into school, he still didn't know Koda or Shoji very well. But he had become friendlier with Aoyama in the events leading up to the Sports Festival. He knew he was really trying to prove himself, in spite of the attitude. Being sidelined probably hadn't sat well with him.

Koda did like kind of down, though. She was usually a fairly cheerful, if subdued, girl, so Isamu wasn't really sure what was up with that. As far as he knew, she hadn't even been involved in anything, so he wasn't sure what was weighing on them.

He also couldn't help but wonder how Kocho was doing. Even without Pro-Hero parents, he'd grown up with stories of his parents' Vigilante adventures, and had actual Hero classes. She hadn't even had that and had gotten thrown in the deep end. Maybe he'd make a point and see how she was doing tomorrow.

None of them had really talked much about what they'd seen during the Nomu attack. Just a few words here or there, asking if someone else was okay, or saying that they'd been way too close. When pressed for more conversation, it would inevitably turn to Deku and how he had saved the day. A good, safe topic that didn't rely on remembering how much danger you'd been in.

He looked between Midoriya and Tokoyami. "Either of you talk to Shinso?" he asked. "He's not back yet. I tried texting him, but he never texted back." The dorm seemed a lot quieter without the little guy's constant chatter. He'd half expected to come back to a play by play of all the different Hero vs. Nomu fights, repeated _ad nauseam._

Midoriya frowned. "Dad brought him to the hospital with Uncle Kacchan. He was there when he got hurt. Pretty shook up by it. He was supposed to go home today, but I didn't have a chance to check on him when we brought Mom home."

"How is she, by the way?" Sora Iida asked.

"Getting better," he replied. "She mostly just needs some rest. Grandma Inko's going to stay with her while Dad's investigating everything."

"I haven't heart from Shota either," Tokoyami said. She passed a pretzel from the bowl she was snacking from up to Frog-Shadow, who took it gratefully. "I also tried texting him, but he didn't respond."

"Same," Midoriya added. "I hope he's okay…"

Iida shook her head. "I know seeing Kestrel being hurt was not a pleasant sight and her chances of survival were much higher than Ground Zero's. Her wings were very nearly ripped from her body."

Midoriya actually moved her hand from his knee and took it in his, giving it a squeeze.

"I'm sorry you all had to be out there for that," Tokoyami said. "We were stuck inside, watching it and that was terrible enough. I feared for all of you."

Frankly, Isamu had feared for all of them too. He'd feared for himself as well. But behind that fear, he'd found himself starting to move without even having a chance to think. And it sounded like many of the rest of the class had stepped up as well.

Maybe that was what being a Hero was about?

The door to outside opened and Aizawa walked in. He looked tired, more than usual. "Gather 'round," he said simply. Oddly enough, he didn't seem as irritated with them as he usually was. "I've got some important announcements."

Izumi looked over to Katsumi. "Shall we?" she asked, gesturing towards the center of the room. The others who had been scattered about were heading there, where Aizawa stood waiting on them. Her friend looked terrible and Izumi could not blame her. Katsumi had experienced much during her Internship, from being unable to save someone on her first day, to seeing Aunt Ochaco hurt, to what had happened to Uncle Katsuki. Those would have been terrible burdens to place upon an adult Hero, let alone a teenager.

She would need to keep a close eye on her dear friend in the days to come. Katsumi herself would be the first to admit that she did not do well processing difficult emotions and that often resulted in violent outbursts. With nearly everyone in an agitated state, it would be far too easy to ignite a spark.

Katsumi had said her father was going to speak to Doctor Shield and Mrs. Hatsume about possible prosthetic options, but that a workable one seemed beyond current science. He would be in the hospital for some time yet, for physical therapy and to avoid post-surgical complications. Her friend would need much support during these next days and Izumi hoped she would not be found wanting.

Her own thoughts were, sadly, preoccupied. The events of the Nomu attack played out upon her mind. She'd been forced to listen while Uncle Denki and Mister Minoru fought the Nomu, somehow managing to hold their own long enough for Uncle Izuku to arrive and take it out in one mighty blow. Both had emerged battered, but alive, able to resume their operations in a short amount of time. But the fear that she had felt when she thought she had trapped them in with it to die still lingered.

And there was still the mystery of the Villain called Plague to unravel. With everything that had happened, she hadn't had a chance to speak to her parents about him and his connection to her. She did not doubt they would be truthful if she asked, but she could not help but wonder just how truthful or cagey they would be. A great many people seemed to be going to a great deal of trouble to hide things from both her and the public eye.

There was also the mystery of the stuffed animal someone had brought her while she was in the hospital, which now rested upon her bed in her dorm room. Her father had tensed briefly upon seeing it, but had let it go. Though no one had offered any explanations, it tugged at cloudy childhood memories.

Katsumi nodded sullenly and they went to stand behind one of the couches with the others. Once they were all assembled, Aizawa began to speak, taking a moment to look over all of them. He always looked tired, but somehow, he looked even more so now, as though the weight of the world had come crashing down upon him. Hadn't UA been removed from the fighting? What could be troubling their teacher?

"Firstly, while we will be discussing them more in class, let me say that the preliminary remarks I received from your Internship mentors were largely positive." His gaze lingered for a minute on a few members of the class, especially Sero and Mineta, but he continued.

"Especially considering what I've heard about your participation in Saturday's events. You should never have been put in that position, and for that, I am sorry. But being a Hero comes with few promises of safety. Your mentors did—for the most part—the best they could to keep you out of things, but some measure of conflict appears to be have been unavoidable.

"That being said, Hound Dog will be available for counseling sessions. For the majority of you, this is not optional. With the exception of Koda and Tokoyami, all of you were directly on the streets at the same time as these monsters. Some of you may require more sessions than others, and there is no shame in that. Being a Hero requires both mental and physical health. In the meantime, we'll be reshuffling the nature of your Heroics classes for more theoretical and historical work until such time as you're cleared to participate in more dangerous and violent activities."

"We've already scheduled a session, sir," Asuka said. Izumi recalled that she'd been hurt prior to the Nomu attacks and had been taken off the streets early, though she had no physical injuries that she could see. "We" was interesting though. Her and Frog-Shadow, perhaps?

"I… actually have my own issues I would like to discuss, given the opportunity," Koda added softly. She was usually one of the more even keeled members of their class. What would have affected her like that?

"Aw, screw it," Katsumi growled next to her, crossing her muscular arms. "I'm fine. I don't need a damn headshrinker."

Aizawa held her gaze for a moment. A tenseness, like a bomb waiting to explode, hung in the air. Was Katsumi going to explode so soon? "Then you won't require more than one session to clear you."

She held his gaze, not flinching or backing down in the slightest, then nodded, seemingly satisfied she'd met the insinuation she needed help on her own terms.

Aizawa's gaze seemed to soften for a moment and his head drooped ever so slightly. "While I regret that you had to be placed into action like you were… I am very proud of all of you. Any questions?"

Toshi's hand shot into the air. "Where's Shota?"

That was something Izumi was wondering as well. The dorm seemed somehow emptier without Shota's constant chatter and cheery face. They all could have used some of that cheer, but with what Katsumi had said, there was likely very little to be had.

At that, Aizawa seemed to draw into himself ever so slightly. When he spoke, his voice had lost more of its forcefulness and edge. He was Shota's godfather, after all, and held a close relationship with Shota's father. Shota's absence and what it meant was obviously very personal for their teacher. "Shinso will hopefully be rejoining the class sometime this week."

Izumi raised her own hand. "Is he all right?" No one had said anything about him being hurt, but as the youngest and most naïve and idealistic of the class, the harshness of reality would have fallen heavily down upon him. A weight like that, grappling with your own inadequacies, perceived or real, would pull you down into a dark abyss.

Izumi knew something about that.

"I haven't been able to get ahold of him," Asuka said.

"Me neither," Toshi added.

"I haven't either," Isamu said.

Next to her, Izumi could hear Katsumi counting, as their classmates began to speculate on Shota's location and status. When she reached ten, she let out a demonic sounding growl that made Izumi take a step back.

"All of you shut the hell up and leave the kid alone!" Katsumi shouted. "If he wants to talk, he'll fucking talk! He doesn't need any of you damn feel goods trying to drag anything out of him!"

Katsumi's sudden protective streak, Izumi had seen it unleashed on her behalf often. But Shota, like Shinji, had been closer to Katsumi when they were younger, and she had sometimes stepped in on his behalf. It looked like it was coming out again. Not surprising, given what Katsumi had said had happened.

Aizawa cleared his throat. "Thank you, Kirishima-Bakugo, for that vulgar, if not completely inaccurate assessment. As I said, Shinso will likely be rejoining us later this week. I know many of you are his friends, but I would request that you respect his desire for privacy during this time."

He continued, and the world-weariness settled heavily in his eyes again. "Additionally, Principal Nezu passed away last night. We're still working on funeral arrangements. An announcement will be made once plans are more solidified. He thought very highly of all of you and would want you all to carry on and continue to grow."

He looked around the room once more. "I'll expect all of you in class tomorrow morning, on time. We'll begin discussion of your internships and your sessions with Hound Dog then. I know… I know you've all been through a lot. But try to get some rest tonight."

"I can't believe you were right in the thick of everything, Kohco!" Momoko Mogura, short, bespectacled, and mole-like, said.

Koharu finished putting her fresh laundry away, turning to the mole-girl sitting on her bed. "I really wasn't in the thick of anything," she said. "I mean, I was there when Deku fought that _thing_, and I got to go on some patrols and get some training before that. It's not like I did any real fighting or anything."

No, but she'd been ready to… what, exactly? Her body had practically moved on its own, wings lifting her into the air to try and help protect Lemillion from the Nomu. What exactly had she thought her Moth-powers were going to do to a nightmare that could knock down Deku?

"That's way closer than any of us got!" Mogura said. She pushed her glasses up with one clawed finger. "We were all so worried!"

While the Hero and Support courses got Internships, the General Education courses and the Business courses had different paths. The Business courses would do Internships of their own later in the year, after the School Festival, and the General Education courses simply continued their rigorous studies. There was always the chance of some work shadowing experiences, but the focus was academics.

She had a decent amount of work to make up, but she considered it worth it.

Koharu gave her best friend an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry," Koharu said. "Didn't exactly plan on any of that."

"I cannot _believe_ you got to work with Deku _and_ Shinso!" Yu Tokuda, another of her classmates and friends said, also sitting on the bed with Mogura. Her dark purple hair hung about her shoulders, and her single eye blinked rapidly. The way she spoke so reverently of both of them, it reminded Koharu of how she'd been on her first day of her Internship.

That seemed like such a lifetime ago, even though it had only been a week.

"They're just normal people, Tokuda." She considered, then continued, "Until they're not. There's a point where they just… go beyond, I guess. I'm not sure there's good words for it."

Deku and Lemillion especially. Watching them turn from a couple of goofballs into serious heroes in the blink of an eye, she wondered just how they could turn it on and off like that. Shinso had been more serious, of course, but even he softened considerably when talking about his family or trying not to facepalm at something Lemlillion had done. And all his composure went out the window when his wife was around and trying to be flirtatious.

Koharu took a minute to look around her room. For the most part, it was a normal room, like any teenage girl might have. Sure, there was an elaborate mirror she used when cleaning her wings, but that wasn't really anything special. There was her poster of the Voice, of course, who almost never allowed merchandise. And one of Glamour too. Though, if she was pressed to admit it, that might have been for a slightly different reason.

With a little luck, so long as she passed her final exams, she'd be packing it all up for the second term.

"Guess that makes you the big hero now," Mogura said. She looked down. "You're not going to… to forget about us, are you?" She looked so forlorn that it practically broke Koharu's heart. Shy and unassuming, with significant mutations, Mohura didn't have a lot of friends, even in the class.

"She's just moving a couple dorms over," Tokuda said. "It's not like she's going to a different school or anything."

"Hey, listen to me," Koharu said. She moved and sat down on the bed, keeping her wings carefully out of the way. She put an arm around Mogura's shoulders. "Just because I'm going to be moving dorms doesn't mean we're not still going to be friends. Gen Ed doesn't forget. Doesn't matter how busy I get, I'll make time."

Who knows, maybe she could even introduce her friends to the Class 1-A girls? Get a few little intercourse friendships started?

"Promise?"

"Of course, I do."

A soft knocking brought her attention to the doorway to her room, where their Class Representative, Jin Satome, stood. "Kocho," he said, running a hand through his sandy brown hair. "You're back. Good. Are you all right? After… everything?"

Koharu gave him a reassuring smile. Satome was Quirkless (He was about the only Quirkless person any of them knew, though she supposed she could now count Doctor Shield as well.), with no aspirations towards joining the Hero Course. He was smart and dependable, but tended to be largely risk adverse. He'd been supportive, but questioning, of her desire to join the Hero Course. Few people in General Education actually _did _want to transfer, not really, even though some fantasized about it. It was the great hope, though, for a few. It had definitely been hers.

"I'm fine," she said. "Didn't even get a scratch on me."

He nodded. "Good," he said, jerking a thumb behind him. "Vice-Principal Midnight's downstairs waiting for you with Hibiki-sensei."

The Vice-Principal and their Homeroom teacher? That… didn't sound good.

"Ah, good to see you, Kocho," Hibiki-sensei said. "Thanks for joining us." He was an ordinary and avuncular man, with dark hair and glasses, a little overweight, somewhere in his mid-forties. Like most of the teachers in the General Education department, he was not a Pro-Hero. He had a Quirk which let him read print by running his fingertips over it.

"Yes, thank you," Vice-Principal Midnight said. Koharu had seen the woman around campus a few times, including at the orientation ceremony on the first day of school, but even dressed professionally, she was a formidable presence. Of course, Koharu was also familiar with her heroic exploits as well.

She could scarcely think of why both of them would be here to see her. And what she was coming up with wasn't good. Were they revoking her transfer? Putting it off? Deku had made it sound like it was pretty much a done deal, with even a new Homeroom picked out. Had she messed up in her Internship somehow? Did they decide letting her in was a bad idea after all the craziness that had gone down?

"Am I… in trouble?" she asked.

Surprise flittered over their faces. "What? Oh, no, sweetie," Midnight said, sympathetically. "We're just checking in on you."

Hibiki-sensei nodded. "The Vice-Principal briefed me on what you encountered during your Internship. And I saw those… awful things on the television reports. To think, one of my students was out there during that…"

Midnight placed a fingertip along her chin, stroking it daintily. "Midoriya and Shinso's early reports about you were highly complementary. It looks to me like we missed out having you in the Hero Course to begin with."

Okay, was she this distracting on purpose or just that good at it naturally_? _Her voice practically purred no matter what she was saying._ Dammit, Koharu, stop being a useless lesbian! She's old enough to be your mother!_

"But you were thrown into the deep end," she continued. "The Hero Course students are already reeling from it, even those who weren't directly involved. Those monsters, that kind of action, it would shake anyone."

Koharu titled her head. "It was scary, sure," she said. "_Really_ scary. I mean, probably the most scared I've ever been in my entire life. That thing was beating up _Deku_!"

She gave her wings a little flick. "But he beat it. Then he saved everybody."

Hibiki-sensei took off his glasses, cleaning them on his shirt. "He did," he agreed. "But that doesn't change what led up to his victory."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, I think you're going to have to fill me in? Because I'm not following."

Midnight gave her a kind smile. "We're just saying that if, after that, you want to defer or cancel your transfer, we'd understand. No shame in it, no judgement. With your marks and skills, we'd be happy to keep the spot open."

They… they thought she wanted to back out?

"Now you're sounding like my mom," she said. Instantly realizing what she'd just said, she slapped a hand over her mouth. If she could have snatched the words from the air, she would have.

Midnight just stared at her and for a moment, her left eye began to twitch behind her glasses. Hibiki-sensei took a couple of additional steps to the left, giving the Vice-Principal more room.

Of course, none of it had changed the fact that it was true. Mom _had_ been reluctantly to let her go forward with her plan to transfer to the Hero Course. She'd argued Koharu should just stay in General Education, _maybe_ think about transferring in the second year, when the world got a little less crazy.

What she hadn't understood was that seeing Deku in action, seeing Lemillion in action, seeing the Voice and Glamour in action, even seeing Midoriya and Haimawari in action, had galvanized her resolve, now more than ever. The way they helped people, the _ways_ they could help people, the fact that they could, in a moment, turn a nightmare into a victory…

During the middle of her Internship, Deku had trusted her with being his eyes in the sky. She'd done her best to help there, satisfied that even providing that perspective was accomplishing something. When she'd expressed doubt about how much she was really helping, Deku had told her, "Everybody's got the power to help. It isn't a contest. The desire and the will to help is what really matters. Training and time will take care of the rest."

Her Moth Quirk wasn't as impressive as some out there, like Deku's Super-Power or Lemillion's Permeation, or even Midoriya's Personal Gravity and Haimawari's Slide and Glide. But subtle powers, like the Voice's Brainwashing, or even more ordinary ones, could be just as useful, just as helpful. If it could help just one person…

"Ma'am," she said, and then instantly regretted it again, because Midnight flinched again. "If anything… what happened… it just means I want it even _more_. I saw what it's like out there. People are always going to need help from someone. And that someone is who I want to be. When the monsters show up, I want to be one of the ones who _does_ something."

"Well said, Kocho," Hibiki-sensei said, nodding. "I wouldn't have expected anything less of you. We _would_ still like you to speak with Hound Dog, at least once, though. Just to make sure you're all right."

"Indeed," Midnight said. "Some… impertinent comments about my age aside, I think you're definitely got what it takes to start your hero academia."


	60. Chapter 55: Friends Helping Friends

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 55: Friends Helping Friends**

"So who should we do for our project?"

Kenta looked up from his math textbook and the notes spread out on his desk. He, Takuma, and Kimiko were all studying in his room. It was the least cluttered and busy of their three rooms, without Kimiko's plushies and martial arts equipment or the eye-searing and garish decorations that filled Takuma's. Other than Shoji's, it was probably the most boring room in the dormitory. At least he _had_ stuff in his, mostly a few posters and some family photos. Pretty basic, but it was his.

"I asked what we should do for our project," Takuma said. He was sitting on the floor, a book on his lap and a notepad next to him.

"What project?" Kenta asked.

"Our Hero History project?" Takuma prompted. "From Skyline's class today? A presentation on a Pro Hero who made a significant contribution to society, either through good actions or bad behavior?"

"Oh, right," he replied. "That."

His pink-skinned friend held his gaze for a minute. "You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"

Kenta let out a sigh. "Yeah, sorry, nothing."

Kimiko, sitting on his bed, gave him a look. He couldn't see her eyes or expression, of course, but he could practically feel the concern radiating off her. There was a slight denting on the collar of her shirt, which told him she was tilting her head. One sleeve came up. Was she maybe pointing? "You okay, Kenta?" she asked. "You've been kind of spacey ever since you got back last night."

He frowned. "You guys have your sessions with Hound Dog yet?"

"During English today," Kimiko said. She tensed. "You _did_ notice I was gone, didn't you?"

Kenta swallowed hard. "I didn't. Sorry, Kimmie." He felt bad about that. Kimiko tried so hard to make sure she was noticed, and he hadn't even realized she was gone. Sure, he'd kind of been sleepwalking through the day, but he didn't feel like that was any kind of excuse.

"Kenta!" she yelled, arms flailing, "how could you just miss me like that! I oughta…."

She trailed off. Kenta guessed he must have looked distressed enough to prevent a full on rant and swat. There was some small blessing in that. Kimiko wasn't that tall, but she was fit and packed a lot of power behind her smacks. He was surprised Takuma didn't have brain damage from all the times she'd gone upside his head.

Though she never did seem to smack him as hard she did him.

She arms dropped to her lap. "It was fine. I really didn't see much of anything. Just one of those things when me and Doctor Izumi got closer to the hospital. I made us invisible and Mister Aoyama zapped the hell out of it. Thing sure was ugly though. But I got cleared right away."

"Me too," Takuma said. "During Science. Tsukuyomi did pretty much all the lifting and just tore the one we were fighting apart. Scary, kinda gross. But I wasn't in any danger."

Keta wondered if wasn't noticing how his voice was shaking with that. But his best friend's lighter nature returned almost immediately. "Please tell me you noticed," Takuma continued. "Because I sit right next to you."

Kenta squirmed uncomfortably.

"_Bro_." Takuma gave him an incredulous look.

"Seriously, Kenta, what's going on?" Kimiko asked. "This isn't like you. You're usually the one keeping _us_ focused."

Well, how was he supposed to answer that? That he'd used his Quirk on what he'd thought had been a living thing? That he couldn't get the taste of its freakish (false?) flesh out of his mouth? That he'd been scared he was going to die? That if he had a better or more impressive Quirk, he wouldn't have nearly died?

How about the fact that he'd been planning on asking Kimiko out before everything turned to shit? He'd gone from riding a victory high after helping to beat that gunk villain to being scared out of his mind just days later.

Suneater and Nejire-Chan said he'd saved their lives.

So why didn't he feel like a Hero?

"It's nothing," he said, trying to change the subject. "So, you said we've got a report?"

Unfortunately, his attempts at diversion did not work and just got both of them staring at him intently. ""It's not nothing," Takuma said, crossing his arms. The frown looked badly out of place on his pink face. "You've been out of it all day."

Kenta looked away. "I really don't…"

"_Bro_," Takuma said again. "I'm your best friend."

"Hey!"

"Sorry, Kimmie, but it's true. You're a real close second, though. But Kenta, we're your friends. We've been through some shit together. That time we tried to hide a kitten in your room. The cookie fiasco. Mrs. Tendo's math class."

Left unspoken was the death of his mother, but Kenta knew it was there all the same. Takuma, Kimiko, Akaya, they'd all been there, as much as five year olds could, when his mom had been killed. And the friendships there had stayed ever since.

"Talk to us," Takuma said, softly.

Kimiko moved over to his side of the room. "Aw, Kenta," she began. Some inner warning system told him to flinch, which was wise, because the next thing he knew, she was hitting him, smacking him across the arms and shoulders with her hands. "_If you don't tell us what's wrong, I'm going to beat the stuffing out of you! We're your friends! If there's something wrong with you, we wanna know about it! Why don't you talk to us?!"_

"Kimmie! You're gonna leave bruises!" Takuma grabbed her arm before she could hit him again, and pulled her slightly away.

Kenta rubbed his arm where she'd been smacking him. "No, she's right. You're… both right. I shouldn't…"

He looked down. The floor was more comfortable than having to look two of the people who mattered most to him in the eyes. "I nearly died, guys." He heard gasps from both of them. Kimiko didn't even protest that she was "not a guy."

Kenta sucked in a breath. "That Nomu knocked out Suneater and then Nejire-Chan. She hit her head. I was pretty sure she was dead, until I saw her breathing. But it kept coming. I thought for sure it was going to kill her, then me. Or some combination of that. So I… I _took a bite_ out of it."

He shook his head. "I was pretty sure it was alive. Or as alive as something like that could be. Not a robot. But I still did it. Because I thought it was the only way to get out of there alive. And then I tried to hightail it out of there with Nejire-Chan. But it kept following us, even with half its calve missing. If Deku hadn't shown up… she'd be dead, I'd be dead, and then it probably would have gone back and finished off Suneater."

He was aware, suddenly, that he was sobbing. Kenta held his head in his hands. "We'd all be dead and Dad… Dad'd be all alone… Maybe if I was stronger or had a better Quirk or…"

Arms wrapped around him, Takuma's wiry ones and Kimiko's fit ones. A group hug. "Oh, Kenta," Kimiko said. "We had no idea."

"Dude," Takuma added, "you can't just keep this stuff to yourself. We're your friends. We're the ones you're supposed to tell this stuff to.

"And besides," he went on, causing Kenta to look up, "do you know how much time we've invested in your social media presence? All of that'd be wasted if you got killed." He had on his "good idea grin," the one he always did when he was trying to convince someone to go along with his ideas and trying to push the charm. It rarely ever worked.

This time, though, Kenta found himself laughing. Slowly at first, but then faster, louder, until he was laughing as hard as he'd been sobbing, and the tears of pain he'd cried turned to tears of joy. When Kimiko and Takuma released him, he wiped his eyes. "Oh, man," he said, feeling lighter for the first time since Saturday morning, "I needed that. Thanks, both of you."

"Anytime, Bro," Takuma said.

"What're friends for?" Kimiko asked. "But if you ever pull anything like that again…" She raised an arm, menacingly.

"'Make Kimiko go whacko, you get the smacko,'" Kenta repeated from memory.

"Damn right you will," she said firmly.

"The three of us," Takuma said, "we're together to the end. No matter what."

He could still hear the Nomu's roar. Still smell its fetid breath. Still taste its putrid flesh in his mouth. Still feel the fear threatening to drive his heart from his chest.

But now, it all felt just a little more distant. And maybe, just maybe, he was a little more determined to tell Kimiko how he felt. After nearly dying, there were way worse things than maybe being a little embarrassed.

Worst she'd probably do was smack him.

"Thanks, both of you, for coming," Kana Tetsutetsu said, walking up the stairs to the fourth floor of the Class 1-B dormitory. She let out a weary sigh. "I've tried talking to him, but he practically hid from everyone at lunch and he holed up in his room immediately after class."

"Anything for 'Ro," Mika said. "He's been ignoring me too, for what it's worth. I was about to send him some steamy pics when you called. See if that worked."

She had a really great bikini for it too. Combined with her rocking bod, it was guaranteed to get _some_ kind of response out of anyone female-attracted. She should still probably send some of those to Shinji. He was on a social media lockdown as part of his punishment for flying to the rescue across Japan (And how romantic was that?), but texts should still count…

"Maybe you should try sending Haimawari some, Kana," she said. "Guys like those things. Keeps the fire in the relationship."

"We've texted and watched some movies together," Kana said, sounding annoyed. "He's a nice guy—and he _is_ cute—but we're definitely not at that stage yet. And Mika…"

"Yes?"

"Stop hitting on him or I'll break your legs."

Mika like out a frightened eep. "Yes, ma'am," she said.

"Should you not tell your Homeroom Teacher?" Akaya asked, trying to drag the subject back to the actual reason they were there. It wasn't Mika's fault so many things lead to sexual or relationshipal thoughts! "The welfare of students is his job. Or perhaps your mother? She is a close family friend."

Kana shook her head, setting her orange-red ponytail swaying. "Getting Fujii-sensei or Mom involved is just asking for trouble. Plus it might end up on the record, even with Mom. The line between family friend and teacher gets a little weird. Plus Mom'd tell his parents and Shiro already feels like he's here hanging on by a thread. Who knows what would happen if he thought it was getting worse."

Mika was definitely glad her mom wasn't a UA teacher. She needed freedom to pursue her various interests, like boys. And girls. And other individuals to which she was attracted. Having that much scrutiny around all the time during your teenage years couldn't be good for you.

"Understandable," Akaya said. "But if Shiro is so deeply troubled, I would prefer he get the help he needs, regardless of what it may mean for his career. Still… perhaps we can convince him to seek the help himself."

"Thanks," Kana said, opening the stairwell door. "Fukidashi says he's "undergoing character development," but that's pretty par for the course for her nonsense." Even Mika would admit that Anime sometimes didn't make a lot of sense.

"Think it has something to do with his Internship?" Mika asked.

Shiro had interned with Red Riot. Considering Shiro was hung up on Kirishima-Bakugo, that had to have been awkward. Wasn't he supposed to have done some kind of dramatic confession before they started those? If it had gone well, he'd probably have bragged about it to everyone who would listen, so she could only assume she'd turned him down, but still…

"I asked Shoji what happened," Akaya said. "But he said it was not his place to discuss it."

"Of course he did," Mike said, rolling her eyes. "He makes minding his own business a Sports Festival level event." Understandable, but not helpful in this particular situation.

Two of the four doors were open, one on either side nearest the stairwell. In one of them, a _very_ attractive guy who looked like a humanoid bat was strumming on what looked like a heavily modified guitar with his long fingers. His fur was white, save for a mane of wild blond hair. She could just imagine him folding his wing-arms around her and…

A tug on her arm brought her back to reality. "Help friends now, carnal pursuits later," Akaya cautioned her.

"I'll introduce you to Koumori later, if this pans out, okay?" Kana said, giving her the same look other people did when they were fighting the urge to roll their eyes.

If he was interested in music though, maybe she could pass up a hot guy this one time, introduce him to Chihio? Her best friend was nearly flat as a board, so she needed a different hook to get a guy… Chi did have good legs and a great ass (She noticed these things, even if she'd never hit on her best friend), so throw in a mutual interest…

From the doorway of the other open room, a large young man—He had to be nearly three meters tall!—poked his head out. "Everything okay, Tetsutetsu?" he asked.

"I don't know yet, Fukui," Kana told him. "Have you seen Shiro today? Outside of class, I mean."

The big guy shook his head. "I think I saw him go down and get some food, but that's it. He was doing that sneaky ninja creep thing he does."

Kana just sighed and pinched her nose again. "Of course, he did. Thank you, Fukui."

"Yes, thank you," Akaya added. She gave him a little wave. "Hello, Fukui."

The big guy smiled and returned the wave. "Hi, Koda. Still planning on joining us in the garden this weekend?"

"If time and weather permit."

Mika looked between the two. She knew they were friends, but were they friends or "friends"? None of her usual radar was going off, so probably just the former. And also not relevant to the task at hand! If she didn't get any action on this trip, nobody did!

Shiro's room was at the end of the hall, on the left. Kana knocked on it. "Shiro! Open up!"

Silence greeted her. She knocked again. "Shiro, this is me as your friend, not as your classmate or Class Rep. Open up. Please."

A muffled sound came from within. It sounded a bit like "Go away."

Kana threw her hands up in the air. "Argh. He's power sulking, I just know it. He was doing this before the Internships too."

Yeah, that definitely suggested whatever had happened with Kirishima-Bakugo hadn't gone well. Poor Shiro. There was a sweet guy under all that ego. He'd definitely treated her like a princess when they'd been dating.

Kana turned to Akaya. "Okay, your turn. We'll try reasonableness."

"Shiro," Akaya said, with that soft voice of hers, like wind through reeds, "Shiro, please. We are worried about you. Whatever happened, allow us to share your burdens."

This too, was met by silence.

Akaya placed a hand on the door. "Shiro. Please. I am asking you not to hide from us."

Silence again greeted them, until the soft sound of footsteps on carpet followed. The door opened slightly and Mika peered around Akaya's bulk to a get a look at him. She would be the first to admit that she was frequently surprised, whether it was by unexpected hotness or Kirishia-Bakugo showing up out of nowhere to yell at her. But what she saw with Shiro took her breath away.

He looked like he hadn't slept in a couple of days, with deep, dark bags hanging under his eyes. He was _slouching_. He hadn't changed out of his uniform, other than to shuck the jacket, so it was it was _wrinkled_. He'd allowed his hair to become _unkempt_.

That was when she realized just how serious this was.

"Holy crap," Mika said, softly.

"I'm fine, Akaya," he said, not looking her in the eyes. "Just tired."

"Kana was worried about you," Akaya said. "And I see now that she was right to be so. You are very much not yourself."

"I'll be fine," Shiro insisted. It looked very much like he'd been crying. And like he hadn't even been doing his skin care regime! "If you'll excuse me, Akaya, it's nice of you to check on me. But I'm in the middle of something."

Mika could just see into Shiro's room. The vaguely French décor, the expansive hair care set up, it looked just like the last time she had been in his room (It had been entirely platonic, despite how she kept dropping things and had to keep bending over to pick them up.), except for the suitcases on the floor. It was entirely possible, given his depressive state, that he had never unpacked. It would have been unlike his usual collected self, but possible under current circumstances. Except for the fact that most of his dresser drawers appeared to be open. And empty.

"What," she said, "the actual _fuck?!_"

She quickly became aware that she must have been rather loud, because Akaya, Kana, and Shiro were all staring at her. Even the other boys on the floor had come out of their rooms to see. Fortunately for her, she didn't care.

She pushed past Akaya and shoved Shiro into his room, roughly. "I've got this."

The door slammed shut behind her.

Mika gave Shiro another shove further into the room, and then one more, to knock him onto the bed. She pointed at him and opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Trembling with rage, she forced herself to be able to speak.

"What. The _Hell_. _Is wrong with you?_" she demanded, going back to pointing. "Are you _giving up_? _Quitting_? Since when the _hell_ do you do that?!"

She realized he was staring at her, eyes wide, a frighten expression on his face, shaking like a leaf. "Hey, no, no," Mika said quickly, joining him on the bed. She put her arms around him. Under most circumstances, she'd have pulled his head to her bosom, but it didn't seem like it would work here. "I'm not mad. Okay, yes, I am mad at you. Because you got me all worried. But why are you leaving?"

"Because I don't belong here."

"The hell you don't."

Shiro gestured to his desk, where some of his things were still out. A deck of playing cards, a set of lock picks, even a twirling baton. A small pair of hand weights sat on the floor, and DVDs of Heroes in action in hand-lettered cases occupied a significant section of the bookshelf.

"Did you know there's a running bet among some of the other courses as to whether or not I even have a Quick? Do you know how hard I have to work, just to keep up with people with _real_ powers? Just because I can move like Eraserhead or copy Gunhead's moves doesn't mean I've got any of their strength unless I work at it. All the time. So I've worked for years to be able to keep up."

He closed his eyes. "And when I was out in the field… when that monster attacked… my Quirk and body betrayed me. It might have been a robot, but cloaked in dead skin, all I could see was how profoundly _wrong_ it was. Not like Ojiro or Fukidashi, they're just blind spots. But just pure, unadulterated, _unnaturalness_. And I knew, in that moment, no matter _what_ I did… there was _nothing_ I could have done that would have even slowed it down for a _moment_."

His eyes snapped open, tears trailing down his cheeks. "I froze! Shoji had to carry me out of there, like a child! I could have run, I could have done anything, but instead, I was _exactly_ what they always used to say I was… a _useless_ kid with a _useless, fake Quirk_, deluding himself about being a Hero!"

Mika blinked slowly, processing everything Shiro had just unloaded on her. She knew he had plenty of crisises of confidence. She remembered comforting him after he'd lost at the Sports Festival. She remembered the many times where he'd wondered if he was good enough.

But she had never seen him as broken as he was right now. Self-doubt was one thing, he had wanted to be talked out of those bouts. She wasn't sure he did right now.

"So I might as well pack my things. Maybe they can give my spot to a Gen Ed kid like Kocho. Somebody who'll do something with it. It's not too late to take up a career as a street performer."

Mika frowned. Kana would have had some words of encouragement. Akaya would have had something deep and thoughtful to add to the conversation. Even Kirishima-Bakugo would have known what to say here, though her answer probably would have been "Suck up and get over it." Unfortunately, Mika was none of those people, so she was going to have to improvise.

"Okay," she said, "first, I'm going to need the names of whoever's organizing these bets. Because I need to adjust the hoof to ass ratio around here something fierce."

He gave her an incredulous look. "_That's_ your takeaway from this?"

"Look, I don't have a lot of tools here, Shiro. So ass kicking on your behalf seems like a good start."

"You're impossible, you know that?" he said. "But even if you beat them all up, it doesn't change anything."

She gave him a small poke in the chest with her finger. "Listen to me, Shiro. You're going to stay here, and you're going to be a big damn Hero. And do you know why?"

He gave a little laugh. "Because you'll adjust my ass to hoof ratio?"

"No," she said. "Well, yes, if this moping thing keeps up. But that's not why. It's because you're a spiteful little bastard who never let anybody tell him what he can and can't do. And if _you_ think _you_ can't cut it… then do it _to spite yourself_."

This got another laugh, one that was quickly replaced by a frown. "You realize that made no sense? And it still doesn't change anything."

"Got you to forget your problems for a minute, didn't I?" Mika asked. "You change your mind yet?"

"No."

Her eyes widened. "_What?_"

Shiro shook his head. "As… refreshing as this chat's been, I'm still the guy who froze up when he should have acted."

She was rapidly running out of ideas here. "How's your class going to get by without you?"

"Kana is the Representative. She'll do a fine job, even without me. She might not have quite the same competitive spirit I do, but she's got enough of one to ensure they won't fall behind."

"The term's not over and you won't be able to transfer anywhere, even to a non-Hero school, without a complete transcript."

He opened and closed his mouth. "…Dammit."

"Stay at least that long?" she asked. "Please?"

"For the sake of my academics, yes."

"Great! That gives me a few weeks to work with!"

He just shook his head. "You're really not giving up on me, are you?"

"Of course not," she told him, leaning over to give him a little peck on the cheek.

She really didn't know how to solve this. This was every problem Shiro had had turned up to eleven. Being rejected on top of having his perceived weaknesses brought to the forefront… There really wasn't a good way to get past that. At least, not that she could see right now. Maybe Akaya or Kana or Anime could think of something.

But she could be there. And she'd bought herself a little time.

"Hey, ah, can we come in?"

The voice at the door snapped Katsumi's attention out of her math homework. Or rather, her attempts at her homework. She wasn't exactly having an easy time focusing on the numbers and formulae. The more she tried to concentrate, the more it all ran away from her and sent her spiraling down dark paths.

At least Izzy and Toshi were giving her space. They'd both assured her they were here for her if she needed them, but knew to let her process it all in her own way. Though Izzy was extremely insistent that she unburden herself somehow, to someone. Still unable to say no to Izzy, she'd said she would. Which meant she'd have to deal with this sooner or later. Because while she was many things, she wasn't a liar.

"Kirishima-Bakugo?" a second voice, this one male, joined the first. "You going to give us an answer?"

"Katsumi."

That last one definitely got her attention. She turned and saw Sero and Kaminari standing in her doorway. She gave them a glare and both squawked. Sero actually took an awkward step backwards, losing his balance and falling on his ass. Kaminari let out an equally terrified squeak, her Extension Cords standing upright and sending off sparks. "Kaminari, we _definitely_ aren't close enough to be to be using my first name,"

"We used to be," Kaminari said as she helped Sero back to his feet.

"Yeah," Sero said. "Bakusquad Generation Two! What happened to that?"

Her glare must be getting weak. They were still there and still talking. "Because you two got dumb as fuck."

They weren't wrong. They'd been friends, once, when they were children and when they were pre-teens. But then Sero got obsessed with internet fame and Kaminari had started listening to Mineta more and more, where Katsumi remained one hundred percent focused on her goal of being a Hero. So they'd drifted apart. Kaminari, she saw more often still, since she was also friends with Izzy, but it was never quite the same.

They weren't friends, but they were still… Something. She wasn't sure what the word was. Classmates, at least. Family friends, sure. And she'd put them ahead of Horse-Girl or the Glowstick on the list of people she tolerated, so there was that.

"Right," Sero said, unfazed by her barb. "And you got terrifying beyond all reason. You know, the usual."

"So can we come in or not?" Kaminari asked.

"Is there any answer I can give that would make you go away?"

They exchanged a look. "Nope," Sero said.

"Nope," Kaminari added.

"Nope!" both said at once.

"No," Katsumi said, because some things had to be tried, no matter how futile they were. She wasn't surprised when they ignored her and came in anyway.

"Dig the posters," Kaminari said, looking at the posters for the heavy metal bands on her walls. "_Scream Girls_? Great sound. You've got good taste."

"I've heard about them," Sero said. "Loud, angry-sounding lesbians in leather costumes. I can total see why you dig them, Kirishima-Bakugo."

Katsumi gave him a look that would peel paint. He panicked appropriately, flailing his hands in an apologetic gesture. "N..not that there's anything wrong with that! Kind of loud for me, though. I gotta go with the _Nyan-Band_ myself. Their stuff's catchy!"

This time, both Katsumi and Kaminari gave him a look. "You're an idiot," Kaminari said.

"Dumbass," Katsumi said.

There was a brief pause as Katsumi exchanged a look with Kaminari. It said "in this moment, I respect that you are not Sero."

"So seriously, what are you two doing here?" she demanded. "Other than lowering the average IQ in the room?"

"Look, it's like you said, we're not really friends anymore," Sero said. "Not close, anyway. But all our families are still friends. We were worried about you and your dad."

"Yeah," Kaminari said. She frowned, which Katsumi admitted looked out of place on her features. She was a dumbass, but Kaminari was usually cheerful. "Um, I just… remember when Dad was hurt. Back in the day. And how messed up it all was even back then. So now…"

Back when Papa had been hurt. And Uncle Tetsutetsu had been hurt. And Sato had lost his mother. Lots of people had been hurt on that one. Kaminari's dad had been stabbed. A lot. When they hadn't been sure if they were going to lose Papa…

At least in the here and now, they had a guarantee that Dad was going to be all right. Him living wasn't a question. But how well he'd take to, well, pretty much anything, was still up in the air. She'd talked to both her parents today. Lots of physical therapy for Dad, so he could at least be fitted for a normal prosthetic eventually, even if he couldn't use his Quirk with it. Papa was also trying to get him to talk to a real therapist… it wasn't going well.

Of course, she wasn't exactly looking forward to her own sessions with Hound Dog either. Because she was pretty sure she wasn't getting away with just one. The school therapist probably had a thing about people suppressing their uncomfortable emotions and channeling them for violence. Some stupid rule about not using "unhealthy coping mechanisms."

"He's… he's healing," Katsumi said, hoping they didn't notice the hesitancy in her voice. The last thing she needed was for either of them to stop being afraid of her. "Still a way's away from being discharged though."

"Eeesh," Sero said. "Rough. Mom said Dad's going home tomorrow. Gotta take it easy for a while though."

"Dad went home to day," Kaminari said. "He actually got off pretty easy."

Katsumi clenched a fist and gritted her teeth. She wasn't going to snap at them. She wasn't going to yell. She wasn't going to protest the unfairness of it all. It was all part of the risks of being a Hero. But damn, she wanted to.

"Still," Sero said, "good to hear about your dad. When we heard what had happened to him…"

"Got pretty scared," Kaminari said. "Somebody like him can get hurt like that… Somebody we know and who took care of us as kids…"

Yeah. A big name Hero like Dad getting hurt, that was shocking. Brought them down to normal suddenly, deleted the myth of invincibility. But she'd learned that lesson early.

Didn't make it hurt any less right now. Or make her worry go away.

"So…," Kaminari went on, as an awkwardness hung in the air. She gestured vaguely with her Cords, hands stuffed into the pockets of her pants. "We just wanted to say we're here if you need us."

"Just wanna talk, or whatever," Sero said. He held up a finger. "Or even if you just want to yell at us. That always seems to make you happy."

A free pass at that? A grin slowly spread over Katsumi's face. "I just might have to take you up on that," she said. "…But not when you're expecting it."

"So what you're saying is we've got a free shot at annoying you now?" Sero asked. "Because I could totally film that. Simmering kettle, I'll call it…"

Katsumi just rolled her eyes. "Under no circumstances."

"Yeah, okay," Kaminari said, tugging on Sero's arm to get him moving toward the door. "Let's get out of here before you get us both killed. But we meant it, Kirishima-Bakugo. You need us, talk to us."

Maybe she would. Maybe she would.


	61. Chapter 56: Shout It All Out

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 56: Shout It All Out**

_The Nomu grabbed Ground Zero and pulled, his leg separating from his body in a messy spray of blood and gore. Both parts of him dropped to the ground with a sick, wet sound. The Nomu let loose a triumphant war cry, like some dinosaur from the ancient past. But this time, Shota didn't make a sound, didn't scream. He couldn't move. Couldn't act. Couldn't do anything!_

_From the street, Ground Zero locked eyes with him, his features twisted up with the kind of rage he usually reserved for Villains. "You did this," he said, jabbing an accusing finger in Shota's direction. "You did this to me! It's your fault!"_

"_I didn't," he began, "I didn't mean to! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"_

"_Your fault…_

"_Your fault…_

"_Your fault…_

"_**Your fault!"**_

Shota bolted awake, with a scream that briefly made the furniture and windows rattle, before he gained enough awareness of where he was to get control of himself. He was in his bedroom, in his home. The walls were lined with Hero posters, the shelves filled with books on Heroes and every available surface crammed with different Hero collectibles. Even bringing some of his things to school had done little to make a dent in everything he had. There was Deku, Lemillion, Shoto, Ingenium, countless others, and, of course, _Ground Zero_.

A shelf of Ground Zero action figures and statues all seemed to stare at him accusingly. The Hero's trademark "Kill" yell seemed to twist in the darkness into the same cry of pain he'd witnessed firsthand. Even the ones with a more neutral expressions seemed to stare directly into his soul, accusing him on ruining the life and career of one of the greatest Heroes of their time.

The door to his room flew open and his parents burst into his room. "Shota!" Dad called out. "Are you all right?" His already tired features were marred by concern and even more exhaustion.

Mom moved to his bedside, kneeling beside it. Like Dad, she looked like she hadn't been sleeping well. Not that he had either. Shota was sleeping a lot, but barely a few hours at a time, before the dreams took him again. "Oh, Baby," she said, running a hand through his purple hair. "Another nightmare?"

He nodded, mutely. His voice frightened him now. He'd used his Quirk to literally unmake the Nomu, after he'd already put a hole in it. Such was the power of the raw sonic energy he could unleash, doing everything from sonar to raw destructive force to changing the solidity of matter to vibrating it to the point its molecules lost all cohesion, all just by finding the right tone. A true example of a Quirk mutation in a family line. And none of it had been enough. When it had counted, he hadn't been able to keep Ground Zero from being injured.

"About Katsuki?" Mom asked. "And what happened?"

He nodded again. "I'm sorry," he said, each word barely a whisper. "I didn't mean to make you worry."

"Shota," Dad said. "We're your parents. Worrying about you is our job."

"Comes with being fam, fam," Mom added. "We're gonna get through this, together."

It had been days now, since the Nomu attack. He'd barely left his bed in all that time. He just… couldn't. Couldn't even look at his phone, though it had buzzed time and time again with texts from his friends. What was there to get through? He'd messed up. Ruined someone's life. Ruined _lots_ of people's lives, not just Ground Zero's, but his family's as well. And then, what about all the people that only Ground Zero could have saved?

His godfather may have told him he had more heroic spirit than anybody else in the class, and for a moment, that had boosted his spirits. Until the terrible reality had set in again.

It didn't matter who said it. He knew whose fault it was.

_The door to his hospital room opens with a slight click. Shota ignores it; it's probably his parents. Uncle Deku had called them and they'd come as quickly as they could, trying to comfort him. But they had left for a few minutes, trying to let him get some rest while they spoke to one of the doctors._

"_Shinso?" a voice asks. It's Doctor Izumi—Aunt Eri. "You've got a visitor." _

_There's a tension in her voice. "For the record, I think this is a bad idea. You should both be resting. You're just a few hours out of major surgery, Katsuki. You don't need any stress right now."_

_A harsh, hoarse voice interrupts her. "Just give me a minute with the kid, okay? I'll even ask nicely. Please."_

_He hears her sigh. "Okay. Ten minutes. No more than that."_

_She was going to leave him alone with Ground Zero? Shota doesn't think he can face that kind of wrath. Why would she leave him alone with someone who must hate him? Instinctively, he turns away, pulling the thin hospital blankets up over his head to hide. Maybe if he stays there long enough, Ground Zero would just go away._

"_I know you're there, Shinso."_

_That strikes him as odd. Ground Zero almost never calls people by their actual names, either in a personal or professional context. There's a long running debate on some of the fandom boards over whether or not he's giving affectionate nicknames or honestly doesn't remember people's names. But it's out of character enough that Shota risks turning and pulling the covers down just enough for his eyes to poke out._

_It definitely looks like Ground Zero, sitting in a wheelchair, dressed in a hospital gown. But Shota's eyes are drawn to the absence of a leg. His fault. If Ground Zero hadn't been protecting him, he'd have fought the Nomu some other way. He wouldn't have gotten caught like that. He wouldn't have been ripped apart._

_Ground Zero stays silent for a moment. He's not known to be a thoughtful man. He's known for his quick action and quick temper. But from working with him and him being a family friend, Shota knows it's only half of the truth. He's just as capable of kindness and gentleness as anyone. He just doesn't let it show a lot where other people can see. But Shota doesn't expect to see any of that now._

"_Go ahead," Shota says, his voice barely a whisper. "Yell at me. Tell me I screwed up. I deserve it."_

"_Why would I yell at you?" Ground Zero asks. He doesn't sound surprised, though. Was he expecting Shota to act like that? Maybe his parents had said something. "Near as I can tell, you saved my life. Three times. Pretty sure that makes you the hero of the hour."_

_He inches the covers a little lower. "But you got hurt because of me!" Tears start welling up in his eyes. "You lost your leg! You can't be a Hero anymore!"_

"_That thing would have killed me if you hadn't gotten its attention. My head was spinning so bad I couldn't see straight. No way that I was getting up in time to fight it off. So you did the heroic thing and put yourself in danger. Even though I told you not to."_

_The smallest of smiles tugs at Ground Zero's lips. "Reminds me of somebody else I know."_

_Shota isn't sure who that might be, but he just keeps eye contact. Ground Zero continues. "And then you blasted the damn thing to smithereens before it could finish me off. _And_ Deku told me you were doing first aid when he showed up. Quick thinking. Might have bled out if you hadn't done that."_

"_But… but I didn't know Deku was going to show up! I should have…"_

"_Rescue ops were always gonna get there sooner or later. But in an emergency, every second counts. You did good."_

"_But if I wasn't there… you wouldn't have gotten hurt at all!" Shota protests._

"_Ground Zero shakes his head. "There's no way of knowing that. This kinda life, every time you go out, every fight you get in, it's a risk. I always used to say that no second rate Villain was gonna do me in… but a lot of that's just trash talk. All it takes is one guy getting lucky and this one did."_

"_But," Shota begins, "aren't you mad? Aren't you angry?" Why wasn't he yelling at him like he deserved?_

"_Of course I am," Ground Zero says. "But not at you. I'm angry at the people who were behind the Nomu attacks. I'm, all right, I'm angry at a lot of things. But not at you. Never at you."_

_Shota looks up at him, eyes wide. This still isn't making any sense._

_Ground Zero takes his hand and gives it a little squeeze. "Because of you, Shinso, I get to go back to my kids and my husband. Better missing a leg than being dead. I don't say this kinda thing often, so I'm not so good at it. Thank yo, for saving my life. I wouldn't still be here if not for you."_

_Shota only manages to nod mutely at that. This all seems so unreal. Even with Ground Zero himself saying it, he can't quite believe it._

"_And getting hurt in the line of duty, well, time was, I'd say the best Heroes didn't get hurt. But that ain't true. The best Heroes, if they get hurt saving somebody, that's a pretty good trade off. Maybe we saved each other out there."_

_He gives Shota a look. "So stop blaming yourself, okay? I don't wanna hear about you moping or nothing. Get better and give some Villains hell for me, okay?"_

"_Oh…okay," Shota says, quietly._

"_What was that?"_

"_Okay!" It's the loudest he's managed to be in several hours. Not a shout, but above the whisper he's been talking at._

_It's a lie. He's not okay. It's not okay._

_But maybe if he says it enough…_

Hound Dog was trying his best to help Shota cope with the memories of what he'd experienced. Trauma was never easy on anyone and his was tied up with a lot of guilt. But the mental health field for Heroes and Hero-trainees had come a long way since his parents' day. He's not expected to just walk it off and go right back into the action.

Hound Dog was surprisingly good with teenagers, despite his fearsome appearance. Carefully, he's walked Shota back through that day. News drones and surveillance drones from the Hero Commission have provided plenty of footage for them to look over, always in short spurts, never more than he could handle at a time.

"Okay," Hound Dog said. "Now that we've looked at the footage, let's treat this as an after-mission report. We can stop at any time, but I want to see how far we can get. Start by telling me where it began."

"Ground Zero and I were on f-f-_foot _patrol," Shota said, forcing himself to spit the word out. "The Nomu came out of nowhere, like it was dropped out of the sky. Ground Zero threw me out of the way and then engaged. He told me to stay back."

Hound Dog nodded encouragingly. Shota took a breath and went on. The first time watching the video, they hadn't even gotten this far. This was progress. He could do this.

"Ground Zero then engaged with the Nomu. But nothing he did even slowed it down. All his explosions were burning it, but it didn't stop it. At all. Finally…"

_The meaty sound of one of the Nomu's fists hitting Ground Zero. The cry of pain and alarm from the Hero. The terribly ringing clang where Ground Zero hit a street light. The dull thud of a body hitting the ground. The Nomu's terrible roar…_

"We can stop," Hound Dog said, kindly. He put both hands on Shota's shoulders and Shota was aware he'd been shaking. He put his own hands on top of Hound Dog's, fingers digging into the soft fur. "Stay with me. You're here in my office. Deep breaths. Come back to the present."

Shota took in slow breaths and steadied himself. "I can go on," he said.

"Only if you're sure."

He nodded. He wasn't sure, not really, but he wanted to try. "I can. The Nomu struck Ground Zero, hard enough to send him flying. He hit a street light and didn't get back up right away. It was… It was going to kill him. Right then and there. There was no way Ground Zero was going to get up in time.

"I had to do something."

"Even though Ground Zero told you not to engage," Hound Dog prompted.

"It was going to kill him!" Shota said, more forcefully than he'd meant to. Loose objects on Hound Dog's desk rattled from low-sonic vibrations. But for just a moment, he'd felt for sure that he hadn't made a mistake getting involved. "I didn't have a choice."

Hound Dog nodded again. "Go on."

"So I hit it with one of my really big tones. One of the kind where I can really do some damage. Maybe a little too strong, because I punched a hole right through it. But that _still_ didn't stop it! All I did was get its attention."

_Dead skin. A pulsating, exposed brain. A hole all the way through its chest, absent any blood or gore. Burns all over its body, one dead eye. And a roar that froze him in his tracks. All it would have taken was one more second and it would have killed him. He'd braced himself for the terrible blow…_

"It attacked me. But I was too afraid to move. But by then, Ground Zero had recovered. He didn't… he didn't look all that steady on his feet. But he attacked it anyway. And it grabbed him and…"

_The wet sound of flesh and muscle and bone and nerves separating. The splatter of blood. The scream…_

He was shaking again. Hard. The room seemed too small. He couldn't breathe. Shota let out a scream that quickly surpassed normal human volumes and went straight into the hypersonic. Everything in the small office began to rattle, being shaken by the radiating sonic force. Hound Dog clapped his hands over his sensitive ears, whining in pain, his jaw clenched tightly behind his muzzle.

The door to the office flew open, and Uncle Shota was there, his Quirk active and eyes glowing red. Shota's scream faded back into human levels, leaving him coughing. They'd planned this in advance. Uncle Shota had been outside, with a decibel monitor. He couldn't hear their conversation, but just in case he had lost control, his godfather would know and could step in.

"I'm sorry…" Shota said quietly.

Uncle Shota and Hound Dog exchanged a look.

The car pulled to a stop outside a rocky quarry. His godfather was at the wheel, with Hound Dog crammed into the passenger seat. It was Thursday afternoon. They'd ended Wednesday's after his destructive scream.

He missed his friends so much it hurt. Toshi and Izumi and Asuka and Haimawari… But he couldn't face them. And he definitely couldn't face Kirishima-Bakugo. Not with what he'd done to her family…

He got out of the car. He wasn't sure why they were here, but he trusted Uncle Shota and Hound Dog. He looked at them, expectantly.

Hound Dog and Uncle Shota both held what looked like fancy headphones. "We're going to try a little scream therapy," Hound Dog said. "Basically, I want you to focus on all your feelings and emotions about everything that happened. Gather it all up, and then scream and let it go."

"But," Shota began, "last time, I lost control and…"

"That's why we're here," Uncle Shota said. "The local government is planning on demolishing this anyway to make way for a new highway and they've got a crew with earth-moving Quirks lined up. Anything you destroy, it won't matter and might even save them some time. But I'm still here just in case. So you don't have to worry about hurting anyone or anything."

Shota sucked in a sharp breath. There was fear, bubbling under his skin. Every time he thought too hard about what had happened, his Quirk welled up and turned on everything around him. He'd thought for a minute, just maybe, he was getting to understand what had happened, his reactions to it… and then he'd lost control again. And now they wanted him to just let go?

Uncle Shota came over to him and bent down. "Everybody carries their traumas, Shota. Me, Deku, your parents, there's not one person in the Hero field that doesn't have some trauma. But we have to be brave and face it. And sometimes, facing them is running at them head on. But you've got my permission to be afraid. And you've got my permission to let it all out, right here. You'll feel better. Can you do that?"

He nodded. "I… Yes," Shota said quietly.

"Good," Hound Dog said, fitting the headphones over his ears, while Uncle Shota did the same. "Take your time. Let your memories go. And when you're ready… let it all out."

Shota took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Everything was still so fresh, he could see everything that happened so easily. Still hear it. Still feel the terror of that moment.

_The coppery scent of blood, the wet stickiness of it on his hands as he tried to keep Ground Zero from bleeding out. _

_The screams of the Nomu. _

_The coldness in his own body as terror took him. The feeling of his heart about to pound out of its chest. _

_The distant, fading look in Ground Zero's eyes. _

_The sound of tearing flesh._

_The dead flesh of the Nomu._

_Ground Zero's scream as he was torn into pieces._

_There was so much blood… Ground Zero was dying in his hands. He'd started almost making sense, trying to tell him that it wasn't his fault, trying to make sure Shota was the one who was safe. But then he'd started to slip away, talking about his husband, about his daughter, and about his son. Asking for them. Telling them he was sorry. He lost track of where he was and of who Shota was…_

If Deku had been even a minute or two late in getting there…

_Fear_

_Death_

_Guilt_

_Fear_

_Death_

_Guilt_

_FearDeathGuilt_

_FearDeathGuild_

_**ALL HIS FAULT!**_

Shota screamed, without focus, without care. For all that he was a carefree young man, he was also deeply aware of the power of his Quirk. Every frequency he could scream at did something just a little bit different, many of them highly destructive. He had to have some control. But here, for the first time in forever, he deliberately allowed himself to just let go. To scream. To let all his power go out into the universe.

As he screamed, he got louder, rapidly shifting up to higher and higher frequencies, way past loud, way past cacophonic, way past anything. The very air around him seemed to ripple and distort. So great was the power that he was unleashing that even the very air itself was being rent asunder. Raw sound slammed into the walls of the quarry, turning rock into dust in an instant, causing yet more to come crashing down.

Shota screamed, putting into it all of his fear, all of his rage, all his frustration, all his guilt. All the hurt, all the pain, everything he was feeling. The world had lost a great Hero and he'd been unable to do anything to stop it. He'd been so scared, so certain he was going to die and then so certain that Ground Zero was going to die. There was nothing more he wanted in this world than to be a Hero, like his parents, like Uncle Deku, like Shoto, and Ground Zero…

And so he screamed. He screamed at the unfairness of it all. At the end of a major Hero's career. At the terrors that a kid his age should never have seen. At the helplessness he felt. At everything, at all the feelings he couldn't name and all the terrors that still rose up in his heart.

He screamed and screamed and screamed, until there was nothing left to scream for. Shota sank to his knees, gasping for breath. The air was thick with dust from the demolished rock, sending him coughing. Strong arms wrapped around him and picked him up; it was Uncle Shota.

"You did good," Uncle Shota said. "Feel better?"

Shota coughed, hard. His throat felt clogged and scratchy. And he felt tired, so very tired. He'd pushed his Quirk to its absolute limit, unleashed its complete destructive power, let every ounce of energy he had flow through it.

"I do," he said.

And he realized that he meant it. Somehow, in letting all that out, he felt like it wasn't weighing him down quite so much. Before sleep took him, a moment of clarity set itself in. In stark relief, Ground Zero's words, Uncle Shota's words, the events of that day, all played before him. That Nomu had been a monster. So many Heroes had nearly died from how powerful they were and that was without his being there. Ground Zero had taken a blow, because the creature was far faster than anything that big should have been, gotten injured because he was trying to fight while still dazed. It was a fight that would have happened no matter what. A fight that could only have happened because he wasn't killed then and there. What had happened was terrible, but it wasn't his fault. He had seen far more than he should, but it wasn't his fault. Forced to bear terrible burdens, but it wasn't his fault.

Wasn't his fault…

"And then it grabbed Ground Zero and severed his leg from his body," Shota said. He had to take a deep breath to steady himself and he gripped the arms of the plush chair to keep himself from shaking, but he'd gotten even further along in his statements than ever before. Progress.

"And then I panicked," he added. "And used a full power blast from my Quirk on it. Completely destroyed it."

He looked down. "I shouldn't have. Even if it was a robot, I didn't know that. A Nomu's still kind of alive. And Heroes aren't supposed to use lethal force, unless there's no other choice."

Hound Dog nodded. "That probably would have come under review from the Hero Commission. But that's also typical of big events like this in general. Go on, please."

Shota took another breath. "After that, I tried to remember what first aid I could for a severed limb. Try to stop the bleeding, put pressure on the wound. Maybe I should have tried calling for help first... but I felt like I had to do something, anything. I was scared and feeling pretty guilty. And I was crying so bad I could barely see straight…

"And then Unc—Deku. Deku showed up. He got Ground Zero to the hospital. Just in time. He saved his life."

Hound Dog nodded again. "Based on what you've said, it sounds like you saved his life too. At least two, possibly three times. What do you think about that?"

Shota hesitated. Ground Zero had said the same thing. He didn't think he was wrong to get involved. Not anymore. Not completely, anyway. "I think I tried to," he said. "I know it was going to kill him the first time. Everything after that… I don't know. Still trying to sort that out."

"That's okay," Hound Dog told him. "You don't have to have it all figured out now. But that you're trying to sort it out, rather than simply declaring your own fault, is a sign that you're becoming ready to deal with those feelings. That's good. You're talking more too. And louder. Have you noticed?"

That got a nod. "Yeah," he said. "I don't know… but maybe letting everything out like that, that helped push me past something.

"Thank you."

Hound Dog flashed a small grin behind his muzzle. "It's my job to help you with your mental health. But you're welcome."

The counselor scratched something on the notepad he was holding. "How do you feel about going back to school?"

That was that ten million yen question, wasn't it? Did he still want to be a Hero? Seemed like had an awful lot of people still believing in him. He'd even checked his phone messages today and gotten one from Red Riot, a photo of Ground Zero doing physical therapy and the simple word "Thanks." Somehow, instead of making him feel guilty, it made him feel pretty good. Like he'd done something right.

"I'd…," he began, "I'd like to try. Got a lot of people believing in me. Hate to let them down."

Again, Hound Dog was silent for a long moment, before he spoke again. "I'm glad to hear it. I'll sign off on it. Welcome back, Mister Shinso."

Carefully, Shota placed the last of his things in the drawer of his dorm room dresser. He had put away his Ground Zero statues though. He didn't feel as much guilt, but he knew that a few days wasn't enough to get rid of it entirely. One less reminder was probably a good thing for now. He'd probably put them back out eventually.

Toshi and his other friends had been around to welcome him back. They'd been a little cautious, unsure of what to expect from him. Definitely tiptoeing around what had happened. He didn't blame them. Of course, if the situations were reversed, he'd probably be more than a little clueless and would have relied on Asuka or Izumi to rein him in. He knew he tended to get a little excitable and not think things all the way through. But they were all happy to have him back. And he'd been missing them so much. Just being around them had made him feel better. Maybe this would be all right after all.

"Hey."

Shota looked over to the doorway of his room and found Kirishima-Bakugo standing there. She didn't look angry, which was rare. She didn't even have that smile she got before she punched something. She just looked worn out and tired. It was a lot like how he felt, really.

"Oh," he said. "Ah, hi. I'm…"

She held up a hand. "Nope, no talking, Shinso. Not right now." She was using his name? Just like her dad had…

Kirishima-Bakugo walked into his room, not bothering to ask permission. She looked him over and briefly closed her eyes. He could see her lips moving, as though she was rehearsing what she wanted to say. "Look," she said, "I'm not good with words, and I definitely don't need anything interfering with my rep around here. So I'm only going to say this once and you don't get to tell anybody else about this. Do you understand me?"

Shota nodded. This wasn't her usual threats or even her banter or sarcasm. This was full on sincerity. He'd never seen anything like this from her before.

Before he could even fully process that, she had her arms around him and pulled him close. He was the shortest in the class, but she wasn't much taller, her chin bumping up against his forehead. She moved her head slightly, so her mouth was right by his ear.

"Thank you," she said, her voice barely above a trembling whisper, "for saving my dad. He told us what you did. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." With every word, she squeezed him tighter.

"Can't… breathe…" he gasped.

"Oh!" Kirishima-Bakugo let him go. "Sorry, Loud Kid, I… Sorry."

He felt tears well up in his eyes. "I… I'm…"

"Oh, _hell no_," she said, firmly. "No crying. Absolutely no crying… 'cause if you cry, then I'm gonna…"

They cried. And for a moment, the world was a strange, wet, mixed up place. It only lasted that moment, before Kirishima-Bakugo got control over herself.

She gave him a small smile. A true, sincere, and actual smile. Shota thought she should do it more often. It looked good on her. "Glad to have you back, Loud Kid."

It was good to be back.


	62. Chapter 57: Overdue Conversations

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 57: Overdue Conversations**

"Still can't believe you were right there on the front lines, Haimawari! It's like you're one of the main characters or something!"

Isamu gave Anime Fukidashi a curious look. Kana Tetstutetsu, had invited him over to her dorm to study and then to hang out. The studying had gone pretty well (Their classes were on pretty much the same schedule, thankfully.), but then her floormates had invited themselves in and what should have been a nice, semi-private moment (It wasn't like they were going to make out or anything! He wasn't even sure when the right time to talk about that kind of thing was!) turned into hanging out with them.

Still, he was grateful for the time spent with her. They hadn't had a lot of it, but they had clicked and clicked well. She was attractive, certainly, with her orange-red hair and her muscular physique. But she was also kind, friendly, and looked out for her classmates the same way Midoriya looked out for 1-A.

Of course, Mineta had pointed out—frequently—that she was basically the less violent version of Kirishima-Bakugo, but he was trying very hard not to think about that or what it said about him.

"You keep talking like our lives are some kind of TV show," he said instead. He'd been cautioned that she was a little strange, and looking like some kind of living piece of animation only added to that. But all kinds of people looked a little different these days. He himself had pink stripes in his hair at this temples. No, what made her strange was the fact that she talked like life was some kind of, well, anime. "And even if it was, I'm definitely not main character material."

"Don't be so sure of yourself," Fukidashi said. "Let's just say I've got a feeling about you. I even heard _You Say Run_ during the Sports Festival when you won!"

Tetsutetsu waved a hand dismissively. "Ignore her when she gets like that. We all do."

"The way I hear," Rika Bondo, a girl made of blue-green slime, said, "your class was there at most of the big fighting." She was semi-translucent and her clothes actually seemed to be made of some kind of rubberized material. She'd brought popcorn to share, though she had her own bowl of it. She extended her fingers, picking up a piece and tossing it into her mouth. The pieces seemed to just dissolve in her mouth when she ate them. It was weird, but he was trying not to judge.

For a moment, Isamu's mind snapped back to watching the Nomu fight Deku. He'd been certain, even if just for a minute, that he was going to witness the death of the Number One Hero. Fortunately, that had turned out not to be the case. He closed his eyes for a second and let out a breath.

Tetsutetsu put a hand on his shoulder. "You okay? You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. _Some_ people should know better." She punctuated this with a glare in Fukidashi and Bondo's direction.

He waved it off. "I'm fine," he said. "Getting past it. Scary, but part of the job, you know? Not all going to be fun and games."

"Pretty sure Tetsutetsu and Monoma were the only ones from our class who saw any action," Kitiara Kaniyashiki said. She was a redhead, with her hair in two vaguely claw-shaped pigtails. She apparently had some kind of scissor Quirk, though he hadn't seen her use it. "I was on the whole other side of the country. Aunt Monika says the police had a hell of a time cleaning up after it was all over. Lots of small league Villains trying to take advantage of the chaos and the big name Heroes being hurt or busy."

"Don't remind me," Tetsutetsu said. "Uncle Neito got pretty banged up by one of those things. But Dad made it out without a scratch, at least."

"How's our Monoma doing, by the way?" Kaniyashiki asked. "I mean, not that I don't appreciate the quiet—that guy's like a little screaming gremlin—but it's too quiet, you know?"

"Like somebody turned off the background music!" Fukidashi piped in.

"At least he's talking again," Bondo said. "He wasn't even doing that a few days ago."

"Blame Mika for that one," Tetsutetsu said. "She gave him a little kick in the pants."

Isamu hadn't had much to do with Shiro Monoma, other than having witnessed him attempt to taunt some of his classmates from time to time. But he knew he was friends with Koda and Mineta, and had a particularly antagonistic relationship with Kirishima-Bakugo. Granted, Kirishima-Bakugo seemed to have an antagonistic relationship with everyone except for Midoirya and Izumi, but there seemed to be a greater degree of bad blood there.

Still, he supposed he couldn't blame the guy for being shaken. Some of his classmates still weren't really talking about what went down and Shinso had been gone all week before finally coming back. The place really hadn't been the same without the little guy, so Isamu was glad to see him again.

Isamu himself had mostly made peace with what he'd seen and was trying to stay focused on the good that had happened during his Internship. And not the horror. And definitely not the creeping worry about what it meant that someone had the resources to drop that many monsters on the city.

"Girls," Tetsutetsu said, pinching the bridge of her nose, "can we talk about something that's not depressing? Like I was doing with my boyfriend before you all barged in?"

"I like the sound of thaaaaaa…" Isamu started to say, but then his mind seized up. They'd hung out a bunch and gotten food and watched movies together and texted and talked on the phone a lot, but that didn't make them…! They hadn't talked about…!

Before he could shift his brain back into gear, Fukidashi seized on the moment. She leaned forward in her chair, her eyes briefly replaced by cartoon hearts. "Ooooh! He didn't know! Is this like _He Doesn't Know He's My Boyfriend (But I'm Trying to Tell Him?)_"

"Why did you _say_ the parenthesis?" Kaniyashiki asked.

"Don't let Monoma hear you say that he's your boyfriend," Bondo said, "he'll flip his lip about 1-A again…"

"Out!" Tetsutetsu shouted, pointing to the door. "All of you!"

Isamu started to get up, but she put a hand against his chest. "Not you!"

When the other girls had filed out, he broke the silence. "So… I'm your boyfriend?"

Tetsutetsu pinched the bridge of her nose. "Sorry, Haimawari, that really just slipped out. I shouldn't have… We haven't talked… I'm really not usually that impulsive; I swear Mika is rubbing off on me… And please don't tell her I said that, because she'll take it the wrong way and the right way and be even more insufferable."

She looked up. "But I _do_ really like you. So maybe it's too quick, but…"

Isamu smiled. "I really like you too," he said. "A lot. We click. So… why not? Call me your boyfriend. And Isamu too."

Akaya frowned as she looked up from her book. She and several others had started an impromptu study session in the Common Room. Though the final exams had not yet been announced—they were expecting that on Tuesday—many of them sensed that they needed to start preparing early. She was not especially worried; her grades put her towards the tail end of the upper third of the class, but she knew well that overconfidence often led to failure. And so studying was absolutely a requirement. English was a particularly tricky subject. She could read the language well enough, from studying one of the copies of the Bible her mother had in the language, but the rules to it were far less easy to grasp.

By coincidence, everyone at the table had a somewhat unusual appearance: Mika, Kaminari, Shoji, and Aoyama. It drew Akaya back to the events of her Internship. While she had been away from the action and violence that hung over most of her classmates, her own experiences still weighed upon her mind. Hound Dog had sympathized when she'd spoken to him about it and had shared experiences of his own. He had suggested that she might find some commonality in it with her classmates and friends. Unsure of how to broach the subject, the winding down of the study session gave her the moment she required.

"Ugh," Mika said, sticking out her tongue. "I have to go get new shoes tomorrow after the funeral. That's gonna take most of the rest of the day."

Monday would be the funeral for the late Principal Nezu, who had died a week ago. They were being given the day off to attend and reflect. Akaya could not claim to have known him at all, other than seeing him speak occasionally, but the loss was always a tragedy. She trusted in God's plan, but sometimes, it was difficult to see.

"Going to the mall?" Kaminari asked. "Can I come? I could go for some new boots too."

Mika raised an eyebrow. "To the _farrier_, Chi."

"Huh?"

Mika swung around in her chair, bringing her legs out from under the table. "_Hooves_, Chi."

"Oh. Right. I knew that."

Akaya opened her mouth, but quickly closed it again. No, she needed to do this. She closed her eyes for just a moment, said a silent prayer for courage.

"Friends," she began, cautiously, "may I ask you a question?"

"What's up, Akaya?" Mika asked. "Is this the birds and bees talk? Because while I'm qualified to give it…"

Kaminari swatted Mika upside the head with one her Cords, shooting their mutual friend an annoyed look. "Stop that. This is serious."

"Crude as ever," Aoyama muttered.

"Dealing with you later," Mika told Aoyama. But she had the momentary sense to look apologetic. "Sorry, Akaya, what's up?"

Akaya hesitated for a moment, but pressed on. These were her friends and classmates. She could tell them anything. "Have any of you ever experienced any harsh words or actions because of your appearance?"

There was a long moment of silence.

"Akaya," Shoji said slowly, concern marring his handsome features, "did something happen?"

"Whose ass do I need to kick?" Mika asked. She jumped up out of her chair, brought her fists up, and started punching the air. "Just point me in the right direction! I'm not afraid to fight dirty!"

Kaminari swatted her again. "Rein it in there, cowgirl," she said. She reached up and touched her left Extension Cord. "I can't say that I have," she said, actually answering Akaya's question. "But my Quirk's not really all that noticeable. Most people don't even pay much attention to them."

She sounded sympathetic and concerned, but, Akaya reflected, Kaminari's Quirk was hardly noticeable at all. She didn't have the kinds of experiences necessary to really process this. While there was no longer a definition of "normal," there was certainly still a baseline that the majority of people fit into. And she was well within its bounds in a way Akaya was not.

"Sorry," Mika said. "Um, I mean, I'm pretty sure somebody's called me a horse or a cow or something like that over the years, but that's really it. People have said some shit about my body, but not usually about the horns or the hooves."

Of course. Akaya bore her friend no malice, but Mika was very conventionally attractive. Something she was well aware of and used to her advantage. She might carry her own burdens, but she could not truly understand.

"There was the time in middle school somebody put a bale of hay on my desk… or the pail full of milk… Boy, was Shiro pissed…"

Or perhaps she had thought too soon.

"Not me, so much, but Dad," Shoji said. It was true, Shoji was… distractingly attractive, Akaya would admit, with handsome features, silver hair, and a powerful build. Even Akaya would confess to wishing to be cradled in those strong six arms of his. "He usually makes the list for Top Ten Heroes Who Look Like Villains. Tries not to let it get to him, but sometimes… Yeah, you can tell. And some people still scream when they see him. It's why he used to wear the mask. But he decided he didn't want to hide anymore."

Shoji was not particularly talkative. That might have been the most words Akaya had heard him string together at once. He must have felt very strongly about it.

"Koda," Aoyama said, "please, tell us your troubles. We are your friends." Though his appearance was typically baseline, the fact that most of the time, he was glowing, gave him his own bit of strangeness.

Akaya frowned. But she had come this far. She might as well go a few steps farther. "During my Internship, some of the people we rescued were," she hesitated for a moment, "very prejudiced against those with Mutant-type Quirks or Mutant characteristics. They said some very unkind things towards myself and the ship's crew. The ones our age made rather… ugly and suggestive comments about me."

Her cheeks flushed and she hung her head. But it was out there. She needed to tell someone, anyone. At least she had her friends here.

The silence that followed was even more palpable. But much shorter lasting.

"_Qui étaient-ils? Donnez-moi des noms! Je les tuerai! Je vais les faire souffrir!_" Aoyama exploded into rapid-fire, angry French, his glow pulsating with his words. Akaya didn't understand any of it, but she certainly understood the emotion behind it.

"I don't speak your crazy moon language, Frenchie," Mika said, "but I know what it sounds like when someone's winding up to deliver an ass kicking! Count me in!"

"Both of you, _no,_" Kaminari said, facepalming at their outbursts. "You can't just go beat someone up like that." Sparks danced on the ends of her Cords. "No matter how much you'd like to."

Even Shoji's implacable calm was being broken by this. Akaya could see the slight twitch of the muscles in his jaw as he ground his teeth. All six of his fists were tightly clenched, making veins bulge in his muscular arms. "Koda," he said, as he approached her, "you know people like that are rare, right? And idiots, too?"

She nodded. "My crewmates and Aunt Tsu said as much. I had thought myself over it, but…"

"It sticks with you," he said. And she nodded in response. "Can I give you a hug?"

Akaya jerked slightly in surprise. "I… yes," she said. "I'd like that."

Shoji wrapped his arms around her. The only one of their class bigger than her, his arms fit around her large frame easily. His muscles were ever so firm. She wrapped her own arms around him and returned the hug. And then let out a breath, releasing some of her stress. "Thank you, Shoji." She looked at the others when the hug broke. "And thank all of you, for your support."

Aoayam nodded. "I am serious about the offer of violence. To defend your honor, I would even fight beside Mineta."

Mika ignored the barb for once. "If you can't kick ass for your friends, who can you kick ass for?"

"You okay for now?" Shoji asked, somber and serious.

She nodded. "I am. I cannot guarantee the mood will not overtake me again, but…"

"We'll be here when it does," Mika confirmed.

When the group actually did break up, Mika held back with Akaya. "That's not everything, is it though?"

Akaya gave her a curious look. "You're being unusually perceptive today."

"I have my moments. Now, what's up?"

Akaya sighed. "The vileness of it all bothers me, of course, but it did also stir up old feelings. While I know that people like me do often find love, as my own family shows… It brought up old fears that no one would find me attractive."

Mika got a strange look upon her face, something Akaya could not quite identify. "Leave everything to me." And with that, she took off like a shot, hooves makings a steady _clip-clop _sound.

"Mka!" Akaya shouted after her. "Explain yourself!"

Later that day, Daisuke held open the door to the dorm and let Emiko inside. The Common Room wasn't currently occupied. Good. It wasn't as though as was trying to hide his relationship; he and Emiko both simply preferred their privacy. Of course, if they really wanted their privacy, they could have just gone to the library or somewhere else. Though if they had, he'd still have had to check that Ojiro wasn't followed them. So this definitely wasn't hiding. It just wasn't going out of their way to make a thing of it. Few of her own classmates knew either. It definitely wasn't hiding it, even though they'd met during the first week of school, had been dating since the second, and hadn't really told anyone. But it had been her idea to study at his dorm, so he was not inclined to object.

Emiko looked around. "So this is how the Hero Course lives?" she asked. With the dark glasses she wore, it was hard to tell where exactly she was looking. A side effect of her Quirk—Perfect Night Vision—was that she required eye protection against brighter lights.

"It's not that much different than yours," he replied.

She gave him an affectionate jab in the side with her elbow. "I'm teasing you, Hero."

"Yes, well…"

Daisuke stopped. He could hear faint sounds in the distance. "Someone's coming down the stairs."

For a second, his heart thundered in his chest. He was so used to everyone not knowing, so used to keeping the details of his life private. He'd enjoyed it, in a way. No invasive questions, no attempts at judgement.

She touched his arm. "It was bound to happen," she said. "Let it."

Of course, it was the worst possible combination of his classmates: Sato, Sero, and Ojiro.

"Where are we going again?" Sero asked.

"To see the kid!" Ojiro bubbled. The sleeves of her t-shirt waved through the air in excitement, as she bounced from foot to foot.

"What kid?" Sero asked.

"Doctor Izumi's kid!"

"Was she expecting?" Sero asked. "I mean, I know you're not supposed to ask if a lady's pregnant, but she didn't look…"

"_Dude,_" Sato said, giving the pink-skinned boy a look. "Kimmie told us. Doctor Izumi and Water Spout adopted, remember?"

"See, Kenta remembers!" Ojiro said. And then, as was common, she started hitting Sero, pummeling him with both fists. "_WHY DON'T YOU REMEMBER WHEN I TELL YOU THINGS?!_"

"Ow! Ow! Kimmie! Stop! I'm sorry!"

It was, honestly, the perfect distraction and Daisuke made a motion for Emiko to follow him around the feuding trio. But Sato proved to be far more observant. "Oh, hey, Shoji," he said. "Who's your friend?"

The smacking immediately stopped. And though he could not see her face, Daisuke was immediately aware that Ojiro was staring at him and Emiko. And then she started vibrating, emitting a very high pitched "squee."

"Is… is she okay?" Emiko asked, pulling a strand of blue-hair back behind her ear.

"Oh, no…" he said, feeling that sinking feeling come on.

"Shoji!" Ojiro shouted, arms waving frantically. "Why didn't you tell us you had a girlfriend?! I can't believe you were trying to hide her! She's so cute! What is wrong with you?! Don't you like us?! Why don't you want to share?!"

And, of course, then the smacking began, her tiny fists thudding against his arm. Why did he think he was going to get away with this?

"Kimmie, maybe give the guy a chance to talk?" Sero said. He flinched. "Please don't hit me."

The hitting stopped, fortunately. Ojiro crossed her arms. "You better have a damn good explanation, Shoji!"

Daisuke looked over at Emiko, who gave him a small nod. At least she hadn't bolted at the nonsense. "This is Emiko Shiryoku. My girlfriend. Emiko, this is Sato, Sero, and Ojiro."

She gave them a small smile. "Nice to meet you. You're the ones with the webshows, right?"

Sero positively beamed. "You've seen us?"

Emiko shook her head. "I can't actually watch electronic screens. Too bright. But people do talk, and I still enjoy listening to _Gossip Corner_."

And there went that high pitched squee-ing again.

"Do you guys have any sponsors yet? Or are you making any money from ads?" Emiko asked. "If not, I can suggest a few ways to bump yourself up in the algorithms and goose your ratings a little, maybe get a little cash for bigger videos… You could probably even get a sponsor for combining unboxing videos with Sato's show…"

Sero's jaw dropped. "Okay, I'm gay, so I never thought I'd say this to a girl, but where have you been all my life?" Next to him and out of his line of sight, Sato facepalmed.

"The Business Course," Emiko told him.

Ojiro finally stopped squeezing though and put her hands on her hips, huffing indignantly. "I can't believe you've been keeping her from us, Shoji! And all the times I talked you up as eligible on the show!"

"I didn't ask you to that," he reminded her.

"It's a free service!"

"Yes, well," Emiko said, "now that you do know, I would prefer you don't announce it to the world. Daisuke and I really don't want a lot of attention. I'm still trying to make a name for myself and I don't want it to be just because I'm dating a future Hero."

"The world has a right to know!" Ojiro said, stomping her foot. "This is premium content! The number one voted on the hottest guys in the Hero Course, off the market!"

Daisuke let out a groan. That damned list again. He'd been dreading it coming up ever since Monoma had mentioned it. He was hoping to talk to Emiko about it, but…

"…The _what_?" Emiko said, shooting him a look. Even being unable to see her eyes, he knew he was in for an earful.

"Didn't you say something about a kid?" Daisuke tried, at least hoping to get some kind of privacy and really hoping to avoid a lengthy conversation with the would-be internet stars.

"Omigosh!" Ojiro said. "Right! C'mon, boys!" Sero followed after her, but Sato stayed behind for a moment.

"Sorry about that," he said. "Kimmie gets a little crazy sometimes, but she means well. …Mostly well." He turned to follow them. "Nice meeting you!"

Daisuke was still being glared at. "I swear, Emiko, I only just found out about the list last week…"

"Last _week_?" she challenged.

Maybe there was a shovel in the supply closet. It would be faster at this point. "I…"

She took his hand. "Guess this means I hooked a real winner then."

He just shook his head. "You planned this, didn't you? You wanted us to get caught."

Emiko smiled. "I may have already known about the list. And the way she talked about you on her show. I thought if I got 'caught', I might have a chance to get some of that to stop."

Daisuke felt a smile tug on his lips. "Yeah, you're going to be rich someday with a mind like that."

"I'll need a boy toy when that happens, you know…"

"Emiko…!"

"So, ah, hey, Kimiko," Kenta said, standing in her doorway. Takuma had gone ahead and gone back to his room already. He had to admit, Kimmie had been right. Water Spout and Doc Clock's adopted kid had been adorable. Definitely still settling in, but she'd looked happy.

"What's up, Kenta?" she asked, powering up her computer. Probably getting ready to scour the internet for the latest gossip.

Of course, she was currently sitting on the biggest piece of gossip of the year (Her words, not his.), which she had vocally complained about most of the walk over and back It had covered topics from the unfairness of it all, to how dare they keep her from sharing it, to laments that one of the hottest guys in school was officially off the market. While both he and Takuma had had the good sense to just let her rant and stay out of swatting range, Takuma had agreed with the last part and had to be reminded that he already had a boyfriend.

"Still feeling down about Shoji?" he asked.

Kimiko threw her hands up in the air. "You have _no idea_. How can I call myself the Gossip Queen of U.A. if I not only missed out on the best gossip of all time, but I can't share it with anyone?! Not to mention, it's freaking _Shoji_! And he's out of the running!"

Kenta winced at that. He was in good shape, he knew, but he was no Shoji. Still, he took the lack of protest to his presence as an invitation and walked inside. "Well, what if I gave you some gossip to make up for it?"

_That_ got her attention. She practically spun around in her desk chair to look at him. "I'm going to need details and I'm going to need them fast." She looked at her computer. Waving a fist threateningly at it. "Boot up faster! How can I take notes if you don't boot up!?"

She turned back to him again. "Okay, how did you get gossip and who's it about? Oooh? Is it Todoroki? Please tell me it's Todoroki! She'd be, like, the gossip motherlode! She's not on anybody's radar! Secret boyfriend? Secret girlfriend? Tell me!"

"It's not about Todoroki," Kenta said. Now or never, he supposed. "It's about me."

That got a jolt of surprise from her. "About you? And you're coming to me first? Getting ahead of the gossip train is very smart, Kenta!" She leaned forward, putting her elbows on her knees and supporting her head in her hands (Or at least that's what it looked like.). "Any girl'd be lucky to have you! Who's the lucky lady? Is it Kocho? Or somebody more surprising? What are you keeping from me, Kenta?!"

"Well, I, ah, don't actually think she knows I like her yet. So maybe this is pre-gossip?" His heart was starting to pound in his chest. He could do this. He could do this. He'd been planning on doing this before the Nomu thing.

Kenta had had some productive sessions with Hound Dog and gotten his head back on a little straighter, especially with support from his friends. If he backed out now, if he was afraid to talk to a girl who'd been one of his best friends for nearly all his life, how big a coward was he?

Kimiko sat up and crossed her arms. "Still gossip," she said, though she sounded disappointed. "But it's not nearly Shoji level gossip. And you still haven't told me who!"

Kenta gulped. "It's, ah, it's you, Kimmie."

There was a long, way too long, silent moment. Kenta could usually read Kimiko like a book, in spite of her invisibility. And right now, there was a growing moment, like the calm before the storm. A very primeval part of his brain was screaming at him that he needed to run and run fast. Finally, Kimiko exploded out of her chair, fists flying. He quickly got his hands up to protect his face.

"_THAT'S SO MEAN, KENTA! WHY WOULD YOU JOKE AROUND LIKE THAT?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE THE NICE ONE! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!"_

He was probably going to have bruises after this. Kimiko's pummelings were always unfocused, but she could put a lot of power behind them. "Kimmie," he said, dodging blows, "Kimmie, stop! Stop! Kimmie! It's the truth!"

The pummeling suddenly stopped.

"You… you _like me_ like me?" Kimiko asked.

"Yeah," he said. "You're one of my best friends. And the prettiest girl I know too."

Kimiko let out another high pitched squee. Being at ground zero, Kenta had to cover his ears for a second. "Does this mean you like me too?" he asked.

"_OF COURSE I LIKE YOU, YOU BIG GOOF!"_ she shouted, arms flailing again. "Wait a minute… _DID YOU THINK I WOULDN'T? DON'T YOU KNOW ME WELL ENOUGH TO KNOW IF I LIKE YOU? DID YOU THINK I WOULDN'T? WHY DON'T YOU HAVE MORE CONFIDENCE IN YOURSLEF?!"_

He was going to take that as a yes.

Fortunately, this time at least, she wasn't hitting him, just flailing. "You know me, Kimmie," he said. "Always gotta second guess myself."

"Well that stops right now," Kimiko said. "No guy I'm dating is going to be a sad sack! You're going to have confidence, do you hear me?"

"Ah…yes," he said.

"Good!" Kimmie bubbled, clapping her hands. She threw her arms around him. "We've got to tell Takuma, though. Otherwise he's just going to third wheel himself onto our dates and we'll never have a moment's peace. Because he is not going to get the hint."

"Do we tell him before or after everyone else?"

"A personal gossip announcement? Do I dare?" Kimiko asked, breaking away. It wasn't what he meant, but there was no stopping her when she was on a roll. "Is that even gossip or just oversharing? Who cares, I'm telling everybody anyway! Here comes a very special episode!"

Sora became aware of shaky hands on her shoulders, forcing her towards wakefulness. She head snapped up. "It's so simple!" she shouted. Surely, if she was just able to put that breakthrough she had been dreaming of into practice, why then she could… could…

She sagged in defeat. Whatever it was that had been going through her unconscious mind, it was gone now. But she was so certain she had been so close to solving it! It was fundamentally unfair that she had to be woken up in the middle of her greatest discovery! Who had…?

"What's so simple?" Sora realized that her waker had been her boyfriend, Toshi. She had been slumped over on her small workbench in her dorm room, blueprints and a half-completed device spread out in front of her.

She shook her head. "I do not recall, possibly the solution to this," Sora said, indicating the device in a half-assembled state. It was supposed to be a small spy drone that could relay information back to her costume's helmet, but she was having difficulties getting it to fly without exploding.

"Oh," Toshi said, then smiled. He looked so cute when he did, the pink patches on his cheeks standing out among his freckles. "Can I help?"

Sora shook her head. "I do not think so. As loathe as I am to admit it, the solution is at a loss for now. Also, I am at a loss as to why you are in my room?"

Toshi's face when bright red at that. "I…! The door was open, we were going to get together with some of the others to watch a movie and you weren't there and so I just…"

That made her frown. "Oh, no! Toshi, I am sorry! I became too engrossed in my work and forgot we had plans!" Her arms chopped rapidly through the air. I have failed in my girlfriend duties!"

He waved his hands quickly at that. "No, no! It's okay! I know you get busy! You get so focused on everything! It happens!"

"You are sure?" she asked, uncertainly. She was still very new to this, and she wanted very much to get it right.

"I'm sure," Toshi said. "Besides, you're awake now. Asuka and Shota said they'd wait."

That was a relief! Sora jumped up from her chair and wrapped her arms around Toshi, pulling him close. As she was a good fifteen centimeters taller than he was, this did make for a slightly awkward embrace. And this, predictably, led to Toshi shaking and being very uncertain where his hands should go.

It was, truthfully, very curious behavior. He very rarely initiated physical contact and was often anxious when she did so herself. She let him go. "Toshi," she said, very seriously, "do you not like it when I touch you?"

Toshi winced at that. "No," he said, "it's not that. But I was, ah, hoping you wouldn't notice."

She crossed her arms. "Toshi, I am an engineer. Observation is a vital skill."

He smiled sheepishly at that. "Right. Of course. And I like that! Good skill for a Hero too…" Toshi trailed off. "Sorry, I don't really ramble like that too much, unless I'm nervous…"

"Toshi," Sora repeated, softly. She tried to formulate a hypothesis for his behavior, and the only common factor she could find was herself. "Do I make you nervous?"

"Sorta?" he said, rubbing the back of his head. "I mean, it's not exactly like I'm scared of girls. I grew up around Katsumi after all. I mean, I am scared of her, but that's for entirely different reasons. Or Mineta, but she's her own kind of scary. But I talk to Asuka just fine or Izumi, or you, before we started dating…"

He trailed off again, but Sora just let him gather his thoughts. Sometimes, it took a little bit of rambling to get ideas out. She understood this well.

"Look," he said, "I know we're young and all, but I didn't exactly date much… or at all before this. Outside of all of you, I had a lot of trouble with not knowing if people really wanted to be my friend for real or because of who Dad is. So I really don't know what's right or, well, anything about how this kind of thing works. I really don't know what I'm comfortable with or what I should go along with or what's too much and… And you're so amazing and beautiful and…"

He thought she was beautiful? Sora was used to be being thought of as many different things, but that was not one of them. She was well enough aware that her breast size made her an object of lust for some. But beautiful? Fairy tale princesses were not usually the kind to wear a mechanic's overalls or have a face covered with grease.

"Then I must apologize," she said. "I did not think to consider your boundaries. I have been told I may be a bit demonstrative…"

Toshi smiled. "It's okay. And, I'm sorry I didn't say anything before. I thought I could maybe just get used to it but…"

Sora started to reach out, then stopped. "May I?" she asked. When Toshi nodded, she took his hand. "I like you, Toshi. Very much. But I am very aware I do not quite think like other people do. But you are very good at keeping me focused on what is in front of me. I like that. And I would very much still like to be your girlfriend. But I am told a good relationship requires clear communication. Can we both do that?"

He nodded and gave her hand a squeeze, moving a little closer to her. "Yeah. I can… I can do that."

There was a closeness in the air and Toshi came in a little bit closer, nervous and shaking, and Sora felt her own heart flutter in her chest, well above the average number of beats per minute. "Toshi, I wish to…"

"Me too," Toshi said, and he leaned in even closer, bringing his lips to meet hers. They were warm and soft and everything she knew about biology was completely disregarded for the moment.

"Oi! Toshi!" A sharp voice broke the moment before it got any further. "…What the fuck?!"

"Katsumi!" Toshi shrieked, and indeed, it was Kirishima-Bakugo standing in her doorway.

"Bird Girl and Loud Kid were getting worried about you so they asked me to check up on you two lovebirds. But now I'm getting out of here before I see something I can't unsee."

And Toshi started shaking again. "Katsumi! It's not what it looks like!"

"It is not?" Sora asked. "Was I doing it wrong?"

"Nope, nope, nope," Kirishima-Bakugo said, backing out the door very quickly. "I don't wanna know!"


	63. Funeral for a Friend

**Their Hero Academia – Funeral for a Friend  
Note: Most portions of this chapter take place during the same week as the last few student chapters.**

_Tuesday_

"Welcome home, Himari," Eri said, as Kota opened the door to the young girl's bedroom. No, not just a young girl. Their daughter. Three years old, with purple skin, pointed ears, and darker purple hair, her parents lost in a Villain attack and not even a distant relative to claim her.

They'd spent the better part of the year preparing to adopt her, getting to know her in short visits. It had been a long process, but they were both Pro-Heroes (albeit it teachers, rather than active in the field) of good reputations, with references ranging from Deku to All Might. The approval process had been rather simple when it came down to it. That she was a doctor and Kota highly trained in first aid was likely another factor in their favor.

She was from a group home on the other side of Japan, so it had been a day long trip to go and get her, pick up a few last supplies, eat, and return home. But now their daughter was here with them.

"It's so big!" Himari said, her eyes lighting up. "I don't have to share?"

"All for you," Kota assured her, bending down to her level.

Himari gasped and threw her arms around him. "Thank you," she said. "Thank you."

Eri could understand her joy. The foster system was by no means terrible, but far from perfect and still far too overburdened. The room was decently sized, but to the small girl, it must have seemed like a palace. The colors were mostly pink, Himari's favorite according to the conversations they'd had, and there were plush versions of some Pro-Heroes, including a well-worn and much loved "Deku-Bear" that Momo had made for her as a child.

"We got you a lot of things we thought you'd like," Eri said. "But if you want something different, we can try that too. We'll help your things put away and set up in the morning, okay? But right now, it's getting late, and you need to sleep."

She nodded rapidly, like a bobblehead doll. "Okay!" Himari looked back and forth between them rapidly. "Can we… can we read a story first?" There was so much need in that little voice, so much crying out for a little time, a little space to call her own. It practically broke her heart.

Eri smiled. "I don't see why not," she said. She went over to the small bookshelf and selected one of the books there. "_All Might Goes to the Farm_. This was one of my favorites when I was a little older than you…" Of course, she hadn't learned to read until she was nearly seven years old, so she'd had a late start on that. But the _All Might Goes to_ line of books were best sellers to this day, so hopefully they'd do the trick.

So they got Himari ready for bed, with new night clothes, helping her brush her teeth, and finally settled her into the bed. Eri set on the edge, book tilted so they both could see, as Himari reached out and put her arms around her.

She could feel her heart melting already.

Later, Eri plopped herself down on the couch, Kota joining her a moment later. He put an arm around her and gave her a small squeeze. "So, we did it. We're parents." To her, it sounded equal parts pride, happiness, and fear.

"We did," she agreed, leaning against him. "Think we'll get it right?"

"I think we'll do the best we can," he said. "And we've got lots of people we can turn to for advice too."

Neither one of them had had what could be called a normal childhood. Kota had been raised by his aunt and her teammates on a nature preserve. She'd been tortured and experimented on for years, before being rescued by Deku and adopted by Dad and later by Mom. And as much as she loved her parents, they were hardly the most conventional of individuals, _especially_ Dad.

Certainly, she'd had a mother. But she hadn't had a mom until Mom had married Dad, and that hadn't been until she was twelve, though Mom had been "having sleepovers" for years before that. So despite all the books she'd read, she didn't have much of a firsthand perspective on what a mom was supposed to do for a young child.

She hoped she was up for it.

"Aunt Shino and the rest are coming down a couple days before the funeral," Kota said, "so they can meet Himari. Uncle Yawara promises he'll keep Aunt Ryuko down to a dull roar. I have my doubts."

Eri laughed at that. "I'm sure it'll be fine," she said. "Dad's coming by for breakfast tomorrow. And Mom's coming later in the week. She'll get to know her whole family before too long."

"How mad is he that we kept it a secret we were going to be adopting?" Kota asked. He was, to this day, incredibly scared of Dad. Which, given the numbers of times Dad had tried to put the fear of him into Kota when they were dating wasn't surprising, especially after the time in their second year at U.A. when Dad had caught them about to get frisky…

"Not at all," Eri said. "He already knew. You know you can't keep anything from him."

Kota's mouth opened and closed a couple times before he shook his head. "Why am I not surprised?"

"He did say we did a pretty good job though. He's just that good."

Kota just laughed. "Yeah, that'd do it."

They were parents. Of a beautiful little girl, who might someday call her mom. It had taken her a while to feel safe enough with Dad, had taken a lengthy explanation from Deku and Mirio as to just what a dad was, before she'd felt comfortable calling him that. Himari could take all the time she wanted, as far as she was concerned.

She hadn't been this afraid in years. But she'd also never been happier.

_Wednesday_

Nemuri felt a splitting headache coming on and took her glasses off to rub her eyes. There was a frightening amount of paperwork involved in keeping U.A. running, much of which accumulated itself on a daily basis. However, as if he had been sensing the end was near, Nezu's paperwork prior to his death had been completed in its entirety, so that was some blessing. It didn't surprise her in the slightest. There was very little that had been able to surprise him. He had known how old he was getting and that his time might come at any point.

She wasn't unused to the paperwork. She'd been the Vice-Principal for many years now, ever since Nezu had suggested she put her interpersonal skills to work there, rather than in the classroom. Another correct decision from him and, again, unsurprising. But now, with him gone, the thought of dealing with twice the mountain of paperwork until a new Principal could be found simply made her brain ache.

They still didn't have a clue who that would be. She certainly didn't want the job. She was happy with her current position. And if she was honest, the Hero Public Safety Commission wouldn't have allowed it anyway, using their influence to turn the tide of public opinion against her and undermine her leadership. While U.A. was, technically, a private institution, their relationship with the Commission was complex enough for them to have considerable sway over policy. And she'd butted heads with them often enough over the decades that they'd never have accepted her, even if she wasn't quite as "R-Rated" as she used to be, trading her flashy costume and dominatrix gear for a sensible if not completely modest suit jacket and skirt. She kept the boots though.

She never had quite forgiven them for giving in to pressure from "concerned citizens" and getting laws passed on just how naked a Hero could be, though. Definitely none of their business!

She was tired. The stress of the Nomu attack over the weekend, the death of Nezu, and the need to provide the children with some measure of structure, normalcy, and for those who had been involved, the counseling they needed, had all taken its toll on her. And she hadn't seen Hizashi since Saturday. She really needed… release, more than she could provider on her own, but that didn't look like it was coming anytime soon.

The door to her office opened and her secretary poked her head in, pink hair the texture of cotton candy piled high on her head. "Vice-Principal Midnight?" she asked. She looked worried.

Nemuri looked up. "Yes, Hironaka?" she asked. Her headache was definitely starting to kick in. Whatever was going on, she had a sense it wasn't going to be good.

"There's some men here from the Center for Quirk Research. They want to talk to you."

A deep, sinking feeling settled in her stomach. "Did they say what it was about?"

Hironaka frowned. "They said it was about the Principal's…" she stumbled over the words, "remains." The way she said it made it clear she was repeating what they had said.

Yep, there was the headache.

Fortunately, they'd anticipated this. "They're still outside the gate?"

"Just like you asked. I said I'd have to get your approval to let them in."

"Good," Nemuri said. "Tell them we'll meet them by the fountain in the main courtyard."

She pushed back from her desk. "Time to round up the boys."

Technically, it was the boys and the girls, but that didn't have quite the same ring to it. But they'd anticipated this and made plans for it. Each of the staff she'd asked to meet her out in front of the fountain was chosen carefully for this specific meeting. Herself, of course, in her role as Vice-Principal. All Might, as the elder statesman of their faculty and profession, even with his Quirk long exhausted. Shota, for reasons which needed no explanation. Skyline, Figure Sk8, and Hopper had all been invited because they could all annoy the _fuck_ out of anyone, and because they were all more than capable of kicking significant amounts of ass if the situation called for it. And Hawkeye, just in case things got rough, with a pragmatism matched only by Eraser.

"Is this really a good idea?" Skyline asked. "I mean, I like messing with authority figures as much as the next guy, but..."

"Shut up," Shota said, giving the American-born Hero a glare. "You're here to be the ugly American, not ask questions."

"Ooouch," Figure Sk8 said, putting an arm on her friend's shoulder. She reminded Nemuri so much of Tensei when she smiled. She and Hizashi had never had children of their own, but she loved the girl, and the children of other friends, like Eri and Kota, like family. "He's got you there, Skyline."

"They're coming," Hopper said. His tongue shot out and licked his eyes. "That one's got bureaucrat written all over him. *Croak*"

Just two of them, fortunately. One was a balding and officious looking little man, the other a bruiser easily as tall as All Might, who looked like he had been stuffed into his suit for the express purpose of intimidation. Against normal people, at a normal school, it might have worked. But against seasoned Pro-Heroes like them?

Not a chance in hell.

The men stopped in front of them and presented their ID's. Shota took both and examined them, pulling a small device from his scarf and scanning them. After a moment, it beeped and flashed green and he nodded. "Genuine," he said, handing the ID's back.

"I am Professor Kudo," the balding man said by way of introduction. His eyes lingered warily on the assembled group of Heroes. This clearly wasn't how he had expected this to go. "And this is Ueno, one of our security agents. I am here on behalf of the Center for Quirk Research."

"We're aware," Nemuri said, not bothering to disguise the irritation in her voice.

The others were hanging back, letting her take the lead in this, though none of them appeared relaxed. Hawkeye kept one hand on one of her pistols in a show of dominance, maintaining eye contact with Ueno. In a showdown between the two, Nemuri knew who she'd put her money on, no matter that big man's Quirk.

"And you're here for…" Nemuri prompted, her finger tracing circles in the air to tell them to get on with it. The sooner they stated their preposterous claim, the sooner she could kick them out.

Professor Kudo reached into his jacket and pulled out a piece of paper. "Ahem, yes, I, ah, have a document here authorizing us to claim the late Principal Nezu's body."

They had known this was coming. In life, Nezu had been a lab rat before finding his freedom. He had fought long and hard to prove his worth and "humanity" and gain the acceptance of the government, the Hero Commission, and the public at large. He'd never spoken about his past beyond the most basic details, though All Might and Recovery Girl knew more than some. But what was known as that he had suffered greatly at the hands of humans who had thought him nothing more than a curiosity to be studied.

As one of the rare animals with a Quirk, beyond the horned horses sold as unicorns to the mega-rich, it stood to reason someone would want to cut him open after his death. They'd had to log the details of his death, of course, there was no hiding that… But the thought of what these people wanted still burned.

"Let me put this in words I'm sure you'll understand," Nemuri said. She made a gesture with her right hand and her riding crop dropped into it from its storage spot in her suit jacket. She took a step forward and smacked Kudo's hand with it, making him cry out in alarm and drop the document.

"Go fuck yourself."

Kudo stumbled back in surprise. "You can't… I have the proper authorization! Signed by the director himself!"

"He deserves better than to be cut open!" Nemuri shouted, jabbing her riding crop forward like a knife.

"He was an animal! His rights to be treated like a human ended when he died! Don't be stupid!"

Behind him, the giant Ueno tensed, sensing the confrontation that was brewing.

"Whatever you're thinking," Shota said, "don't." Nemuri wondered if it wasn't meant as a warning for her too.

"It's a lovely day," All Might said. "It would be a shame to spoil it with violence." Nemuri wasn't worried about him if things got rough. Even in his seventies, he was still more powerfully built than many men, with a lifetime of experience behind him. That his tone carried a slight warning about who would be impacting the violence on whom did not go unnoticed by the men.

Kudo, however, was proving himself to be a very stupid man. "I am an officer of the government! And I have been authorized to claim those remains for research!" He was practically turning purple with fury. "Do you know what we might learn?!" He raised a hand as if to strike her.

A crack of gunfire exploded at his feet, forcing him to step back again, bumping into Ueno's broad form. Nemuri spared a glance over her shoulder and saw Hawkeye had discharged her gun.

"You… you could have hit me!" Kudo shrieked.

"Please," Hawkeye said, "if I wanted to hit you, I would have. Super-Accuracy. That was a warning shot."

Kudo looked around, his eyes settling on Skyline, Hopper, and Figure Sk8. "Surely one of you must have some sense?"

"Sorry," Skyline said, switching back to his native English and putting on his best "dumb jock" expression, "I don't speak Japanese."

Figure Sk8 brushed her white forelock out of her face. "They just keep me around 'cause I'm pretty. I don't make the decisions."

Hopper shrugged. "All the sense in the family went to my older sister. *Croak*"

Nemuri let a sinister smile cross her face. The kind she used to put on when putting the screws to some Villain. "And even if we wanted to—which we don't—Nezu's going to be cremated, as per his last wishes. He was a lab rat in life. We weren't about to see him become one in death too."

Kudo flushed red with anger, pointing a finger accusingly. "You were told when we contacted you to hold the body for examination! This is deliberate defiance!"

"Oh," Nemuri said, "have we been… _naughty_?"She shrugged, tilting her head to the side slightly. "We really do appreciate the warning, by the way. Gave us plenty of time to prepare a proper welcome."

"You.. you… you…" Kudo babbled, too incoherent to find the right words. "You've making a grave mistake. I'll take this all the way to the highest levels of the government!"

Nemuri looked behind her, getting a small nod from everyone, even All Might, who had drawn himself up to his full height, any of the goofy demeanor he used around civilians completely gone. He had been one of Nezu's few friends and took the protection of him in death very seriously.

"You're welcome to try," she said. "There's not a teacher here who wouldn't back up what we're doing. And I've got any number of Pro-Heroes in my rolodex who would just _love_ to hear what you were thinking of doing to our beloved Principal. You know, Pro-Heroes like Ingenium, Shoto, _Deku_."

He growled. "This. Isn't. Over."

"It is for now," Shota said. His eyes were glowing and his hair was up. "I recommend you both leave."

Kudo held his gaze for an impressive two seconds before looking away and starting to walk off. "Come, Uedo." The giant grunted and followed after.

"Skyline, Aizawa, see them out," Nemuri said.

When the officials were out of sight, she finally let herself feel the tension she'd been feeling, nearly sinking to her knees. That could have gone much, much worse.

All Might helped to steady her. "You did well, Nemuri. Nezu would have been proud."

She shook her head. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat. But there's going to be consequences for this."

"Then we'll deal with them when they come."

_Thursday_

"All Might," Nemuri said as she entered the teacher's lounge. The school day was over and she'd already made certain that the other teachers had cause to be elsewhere. Shota was, predictably, curled up in his sleeping bag in the corner. One of these days, he was going to have back trouble from all of that.

All Might looked up from the videos he was watching from the day's Heroics classes. 1-C by the looks of it. She could see Yoru Kan, their former fellow teacher Vlad King's young daughter, and Haya Tanaka, the girl with the Comet Quirk who'd crashed into the 1-A dorms early into the term, protecting a "bomb" from other students in the class.

The start of the term felt like a lifetime ago. The Quirk Virus seemed to have vanished as mysteriously as it had first appeared, with no one the wiser to its origins, no matter the investigative power they had thrown at it.

"Battle trials, eh?" she asked. "I'm glad to see you finally learned not to start the classes with that."

All Might gave her a sheepish grin. "Yes, well, live and learn, I suppose… What can I do for you, Nemuri?"

She took the seat next to him. Super-Ball's, judging by the decorations. There was a picture of his husband, a man with a minor ice Quirk who worked as a bartender, if she remembered correctly, and stack of selfies, inscribed "From your friendly neighbor bouncing ball."

All Might's own cubicle was filled with pictures of his wife, son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren, unsurprisingly, and one faded picture of a pretty, smiling, muscular woman with dark hair. There were also plenty of scribbled crayon drawings, including one where someone older had clearly helped the artist print "Super Mighty Fire Maid," which, if she remembered correctly, was the current chosen future Hero name of his youngest granddaughter, Mako.

"It's about the principal job," she began.

He gave her a kind smile. "Well, if you want this old man's opinion, you're certainly more than qualified for it. You've certainly got my support if you want it."

Nemuri shook her head and smiled. "I'm happy with my current position. And we both know the Hero Commission would never accept me, especially not after the feathers I ruffled yesterday."

"The CQR can't possibly have that much influence…"

He may have been the former Number One Hero, but All Might was blessedly naïve at times. "Hardly the only thing," she said. "But that's definitely a contributing factor. But I've been thinking it over and discussing it with some of the others. And I'd like you to take the job."

It was a little more complex than that, but even with the influence and "recommendations" of the Hero Commission, some degree of autonomy was assured. Selecting staff was one of them. It was the only reason they had some of the teachers they'd had and did.

"Me?" he asked. "I couldn't…"

"You'd still be able to teach some classes now and then," she assured him. "And keep tabs on your grandson."

"I haven't done that…" He wilted slightly under her gaze. "Nearly as much lately."

Nemuri sighed. "You're the best of us, All Might. Even now. With everything going on in the world right now, with Nezu gone, with the mess I just made of everything…"

Of course, she'd had the backing of the other teachers and staff when she'd told the CQR off. Fortunately, between them, they had a lot of friends in high places and had brought the CQR's actions to the attention of a few very highly placed and powerful people. That was a bullet dodged. But it had still been a standoff with a government agency. As the acting principal, she still felt it fell on her. "We need to show the world that we're still U.A. That we're still strong and capable of going forward. We need to show them we're still worthy of their trust. And you inspire all of that.

"You've more than earned the right to do whatever you want in your golden years, All Might," she told him. "But I'm asking you do this. For U.A. For the students. Please."

"You do know I'm absolute rubbish when it comes to paperwork, right?" he asked.

"Then we'll get you another secretary. Take the damn job."

Both their heads snapped to the corner of the room, where Shota's head was poking out of his sleeping bag.

"How long have you been awake?" Nemuri demanded. That damn man was still a ninja. It was insufferable!

"Long enough," Shota said. "Nemuri makes a convincing argument. I just know I'm not doing it. So do what you want." He rolled over and was back asleep in seconds.

"There is the matter of my replacement as the first year Heroics teacher, though," All Might said. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "This is rather serendipitous, actually."

She sometimes forgot just how smart All Might actually was. "I take it you've got someone in mind?"

He nodded. "Yes. He'll take some convincing, though. And perhaps a bit of time to get fully up to speed."

Okay, now she was intrigued. "I'm sure we can manage an effective transition plan. But who're you talking about?"

He told her. She blinked slowly for a moment, then let out a laugh that startled All Might so badly he nearly fell out of his chair. "I knew you had a sense of humor, but…"

He shook his head. "No joke. He needs this. And he'll be good for the students, ultimately."

"That's it," Shota said, somehow back in their conversation, "I quit."

"No quitting!" she snapped, fixing him with an icy glare. "If you quit, I'll give Hizashi permission to hang around with you all day and night."

"You wouldn't."

"Don't test me, Eraser."

Nemuri returned her attention to All Might. "Well, I do trust your judgement. If you can talk him into it, I think we can make it work."

_Saturday_

With the funeral on Monday, the staff of U.A. had decided to go drinking. There was a place near campus that Present Mic had discovered ages ago and it had been a tradition ever since. Downing half of her own drink, Kukiko Iida watched as Midnight carefully took the contents of the three smaller, brightly colored drinks set before her and poured them into a larger glass. With a look of absolutely concentration, she stirred it with a straw until it turned a color Kukiko was pretty sure there wasn't actually a word for. What was more worrying was this was the third time and the third combination the older woman had tried tonight.

Of course, given her dad's stories about what Midnight had been like in her younger days, none of this was a surprise. She apparently got more experimental the drunker she got.

She leaned over to her left and whispered to Samidare Asui, "I will give you five thousand yen if you take that and drink it."

He gave her a look which suggested he'd rather try lying to his sister. "Not on your life."

"Coward."

"I'm twelve years older than you. I will have the hangover from hell if I drink that. And Midnight will kill me if I come between her and her alcohol."

"Coward," she repeated, but leaned back over to her right. "What about you, Michael? You want to give it a go? Five thousand yen. Cash."

Michael Skyline, despite the "stupid American jock" act he often put on to fool others (or to get out of work) was not an unintelligent man. He shook his head, which sent his mane of blonde hair flying. "Not on your life."

"Don't tell me you're worried about hangovers too," she teased. "You're only twenty-eight."

"And you're barely twenty-three," he said. "How can you drink me and Samidare under the table?" He was on his second glass; she'd already moved on to her fourth.

"High speed metabolism," she told him. "And you're a coward."

"But I'm an alive coward," Michael said.

"They know we can hear them, right?" Aizawa, sitting across from them, asked Hawkeye, who was sitting to his right.

"I don't think they care," she replied. Both of them were still on their first drinks, sipping them slowly.

"Stop trying to be a bad influence, Iida," Battle-Fist said. Kendo Tetsutetsu pinched the bridge of her nose. A gesture, Kukiko noticed, her daughter tended to copy when frustrated. Like Hakweye and Aizawa, she'd been drinking responsibly.

"Does it count if I'm the youngest one?" Kukiko asked. "Can you influence up?" That earned her a glare from Aizawa, but she was practically immune to it.

"How's your niece, by the way?" Kukikio asked Samidare, shifting to topics that would avoid annoying the downer brigade. "Your sisters were out of the fighting, right?"

"Right," Samidare said. "Thank heavens for small favors. Tsu and Satsuki were both too far out to get involved. But Asuka's fine. She got hurt earlier, before the fighting, so she wasn't involved either. But she's fine now. Whole family's fine. What about yours?"

"Uncle Tenya's fine," she said. "Uncle Shoto too. The Twins saw a little bit of action and Izumi wore herself out, but they're good. As long as Momo doesn't try and use it as an excuse to try and pull her again. Don't know how long Uncle Sho' can talk her out of it."

"Be a shame if she did. Girl's got a lot of potential."

Kukiko frowned. "She's worried about her. Guess that's a mom's job."

Not all the teachers had been able to come, of course. Doc Clock and Water Spout were busy with their new adopted daughter and most of the second and third year Hero teachers had begged off.

"Okay, now this little beauty is complete," Midnight said, possibly not having heard their attempts at drink thievery. She took a long swig of her drink.

"Well?" FireFox asked, the whiskers of his red panda head twitching. "What's it taste like?"

Midnight considered this, licking her lips in such a way that both Samidare and Michel suck in a sharp breath. "It tastes like… purple," she declared after a moment. "Veeeery purple."

"Nemuri, dear," a voice from the far end of the table asked, "don't you think you ought to have some water?"

Midnight made a face and gave the green-haired woman a slightly intoxicated glare. "Why are you here again, Inko?"

Inko crossed her arms. She only had a non-alcoholic fruit cocktail sitting in front of her. "Because the last time you all engaged in these shenanigans, my husband came home drunk as a skunk at three in the morning and trying to sing. So I'm here to remind you all to be responsible." She used her Quirk and brought her drink to her hand. "And you're going to be, aren't you?"

"Yes, dear," All Might said, looking somewhat nervous at becoming the target of his wife's ire. In their defense, All Might rarely joined their drinking excursions, claiming it was a "young person's game" so they might have gotten a little overly encouraging when he did. But hey, they'd made sure he'd gotten home safely, right?

Inko held Midnight's gaze for a moment, before Midnight let out a huff. "Fine," she growled. "I'll drink some water."

"Thank you, dear," Inko said.

_FOOSH!_

"What the heck, dude?!" Super-Ball, who was sitting next to FireFox, asked. "How about a little warning the next time you set your drink on fire?!"

"Fire make drink good," FireFox told the Homeroom teacher seriously.

"I'm literally made of rubber! What if I melted?"

"Would it shut you up?" Aizawa asked.

The table erupted into laughter over that.

"I wasn't joking," Aizawa deadpanned. An awkward silence followed, as no one could tell for sure if he was joking.

"Ahem," Midnight coughed, breaking the silence. She stood, albeit unsteadily. "I just want to say… I just want to say…" She frowned, trying to remember the words she wanted. "I just wanted to say thank you. All of you. I know this past week's been rough on all of us. But we've pulled together and pushed forward. You guys… you guys and Mic… you're my family. And I'm grateful for all of you. We're… we're gonna keep going. No matter what."

She raised her glass. "To U.A. And to Nezu!"

Kukikio and the others raised their glasses. "To U.A.! To Nezu!"

_Monday_

In his many years, Toshinori had attended many funerals. As the Number One Hero, it had been expected of him to pay his respects to his fallen breathern. He'd seen far too many fellow Heroes die in the line of duty. Until his son had broken the back of villainy rather decisively, it had been far more common for Heroes to live hard and die with their masks on. Even then, it was still a dangerous profession, and he felt both very guilty and very lucky that he had been able to retire and live to an old age.

There had been funerals where there had been almost no one to mourn for the fallen, like his late Master's, just him and Gran Torino. Others, like Best Jeanist's, had drawn Heroes and mourners from across the country, so beloved was the man.

For Nezu, it seemed as if the entirety of Japan had shown up. There were Pro-Heroes, including his son and his family, and many more, many of whom had been students under Nezu. There were police and politicians. There were Support Equipment designers, Agency staff, and ordinary civilians, lawyers and businessmen and others, who had been students in other courses as well; Nezu had done a remarkable job connecting with all his students. There were former U.A. teachers. There were all sorts of current and former police officers, his friend Police Chief Naomasa Tsukauchi among them. Even Deputy Hero Commissioner Hawks was in attendance. There were even representatives of other Hero Schools, from both Japan and afar, including the traveling school, Saikyo/Strongest/Zuì qiáng Academy, or SSZ, which would be rotating back to Japan soon.

In the courtyard before the main building, a small statue of Nezu had been raised, painstakingly crafted by Pixie-Bob and Cementoss. It depicted the Principal on a pedestal, smartly dressed as always, sipping tea from a cup and looking out over the whole campus.

**Principal Nezu**

**Served XXXX – XXYY**

"**To go beyond, you must first train the mind."**

Around the statue, present and former teachers, school staff, and their families had gathered. Other mourners filled the stands of the Sports Festival, with everything being broadcast on the big screens there.

Toshinroi approached the small podium they had set up, his eyes sweeping over the assembled. Aizawa and Emi, with Young Eri and Kota, Nemuri and Hizashi, and all the rest. Most looked mournful, of course, but Hizashi was sobbing openly, leaning on his longtime girlfriend's shoulder. His eyes finally settled on Inko and he drew a moment of strength from her.

"Unlike many of you," he began, "my time at U.A. ended before Nezu joined its staff. I didn't meet him until I was already an established Hero, though I'm given to understand I may have been one of the first humans he had significant contact with following his… escape. But he has always been someone I could trust, a source of advice and wisdom, and someone I was proud to call a friend."

He took a breath. "Nezu made no secret of the fact that he was not, in fact, a human with animalistic characteristics, but instead an animal uplifted by the presence of his Quirk. It would have been easy enough for him to have hidden it. Certainly, there are members of society today who look far less like a "human" than he did. No one would have questioned it. But he did not believe in hiding who he was. And he had fought, rather viciously, for his right to exist and live in the world of man. So he would not hide.

"What fewer people know is that before he was a principal, before he was a teacher, before he was a Hero, even before he was a free citizen… Nezu was a lab rat, quite literally. He was experimented on and tortured, daily. It left him with scars, both mental and physical, that he carried with him every day. In those times, he saw deep injustices, firsthand. It made him dedicated to seeing that no one should suffer as he had. He engineered his own escape. He studied human society and law, and successfully argued for his own freedom. And then he set about making good on his promise to do the same by others.

"Nezu was a transformative presence at U.A. As a teacher, he pushed for U.A. to expand its scope beyond the traditional Heroics Courses, reasoning that if U.A. were to produce the best Heroes, then should it not also produce the best Support Designers, the best managers, the best students in general? It was Nezu that pushed for additional academic rigor, transforming it into the institution it is today.

"It is safe to say that there are many Heroes out there today who would not be the successes they are, if not for Nezu.

"And when I was at one my lowest points, the strength that had served me for decades failing and my own health falling apart, it was Nezu who showed me a new way forward. He reminded me that I had more to offer, that I could teach the next generation of Heroes. I wasn't good at it at first, not by half. But with his guidance and the guidance of others, I eventually confirmed his faith in me. Faith I am not so certain I deserved.

"But he has always made this a place for everyone, student and teacher alike, could reach their full potential, where they could feel safe. There have been many times where there have been students in need, in need of safety, in need of an escape, in need of guidance, in need of someone who actually cared about them.

"Nezu always made sure U.A. would provide. He had no family save for U.A. and its staff and students.

"U.A. is mostly automated, but Nezu knew the name of every single person working here, from the workers in the cafeteria to the teaching assistants, to the maintenance crew. He knew how to make everyone feel valuable.

"And until the moment of his death, Nezu was fighting for U.A., for this country, and for its people. He was working tirelessly into the night, coming up with plans and contingencies for our safety and future."

Toshinori paused, as a tear rolled down his cheek. He forced himself to go on.

"He had seen the writing on the wall coming for a long time. He had never been certain what his lifespan was, but he knew he was getting older, getting slower, even needing a cane these last few years. But he was determined to use his every last moment for us.

"We can do no less than continue to honor his vision and go beyond."

Toshinori looked to the statue. "To that end, we dedicate this statue to him. He wished to leave no earthly remains, and we have honored that request. Nezu was neither a religious nor spiritual being, but he understood the levers of faith and the power of mourning and remembrance. We look to his vision to continue to guide us, and hope that wherever he is now, he is at peace and rest at last."

He walked away from the podium and touched the statue. "I will miss you, my friend."

In a hidden bunker, belonging to the League of Villains, Doctor Ursa looked up from the compound he was analyzing. The day's news had focused on the death and funeral of U.A.'s principal. It had captivated the League's leader's attention.

"A pity," their leader said.

"Sir?" Ursa asked.

"Nezu was a remarkably intelligent creature. Too heroic for his own good, but I am certain he, of all people, could have been made to see reason. Still… with U.A. in chaos and so many Heroes recovering from our attack, our plans can continue!"

"Of course, sir," Ursa replied. "It will still be some time, however, even with the supplies the other members liberated while the Nomu distracted the Heroes."

Their leader made an impatient noise. "I suppose it will have to do. And perhaps a little more time spent waiting for the other shoe to drop will rattle them more. Our Virus taught them to fear their Quirks. The Nomu attack showed them how fragile their Heroes are. Now… we can show them a different path."


	64. Chapter 58: An Exam Cometh!

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 58: An Exam Cometh!**

There was a somewhat somber mood in the classroom as 1-A settled in Tuesday morning. The funeral yesterday had been the cap to a long week that stretched back to the Nomu attacks and had been a roller coaster for many of them ever since. But things looked to Isamu like they were finally getting back to normal (or what passed for normal in a class that included Mineta). The class was back together again and even if they weren't all back to their usual selves, they were getting there. Even Shinso had been in a slightly cheerier mood last night, joining him and Midoriya for a few rounds of _Mighty Smash Fighters 3000_ in Midoriya's room. By unspoken consensus, neither he nor Midoriya had picked Ground Zero as their fighter of choice, preferring Ingenium and Shoto, respectively (Midoriya had said playing as his dad was just too weird).

The room fell into a hushed silence as Aizawa entered. They knew by this point not to screw around once he was there. Well, most of them did. He was pretty sure Mineta and Sero hadn't gotten the same message as everybody else, because both of them were talking longer than anyone else.

Aizawa stood at his podium for a moment before speaking. "Only three seconds to quiet down. An improvement." His eyes swept the room and his face relaxed a fraction of a centimeter. "I know your Internship experiences were harrowing, but I've also finally had the opportunity to review the feedback your mentors provided, and you all acquitted yourselves well, even in the face of some concerns over discipline." There was a glance reserved for Mineta and Sero again.

"However, that does not change the fact that your final exams will be in two weeks. Your subject exams will be the Monday through Thursday of that week, with the practical Heroics exam on Friday."

That wasn't a surprise, really. The dates for final exams had been in the syllabus on the first day of class. But that seemed like both yesterday and a lifetime ago. There was the phrase "time flies when you're having fun", but had the term really been fun? It seemed like much of it had been long moments of calm split by absolute and total panic.

Then again, in the time since that first day, he'd made friends, won the Sports Festival, interned with Deku, seen a monster, gotten a girlfriend…

Yeah, okay, there was some fun there.

Up in the front row, he saw Izumi raise her hand. Once Aizwa gave her permission to speak, she asked, "Will you be telling us any details of the exam, Sensei?" she asked.

A good question, and Isamu sat up a little straighter in his seat to listen. Regular final exams would be difficult enough—they weren't kidding when they said U.A. was academically rigorous!—but he couldn't imagine what the Heroics exam would be like.

And then something happened that sent a chill up Isamu's spine. Aizawa… smiled. It wasn't a normal person's smile, but a rictus grin, and it looked deeply unsettling on his face. It was the smile of someone about to deliver a devastating smackdown onto a foe and take utter delight in doing it. A shrill scream split the air. It was Sero.

"Dude," Sato said, "what _was_ that?"

"He's smiling!" Sero wailed. "We're doomed! Dooooomed!"

"I'm too young to die!" Kaminari screamed.

"I'm too hot to die!" Mineta shrieked, joining in the wailing.

Even Midoriya, in the front row, seemed afraid. "Oh no, oh no, oh no, not good!"

Isamu felt his own heartbeat quicken, but he took a look to the opposite end of the row to decide what was the most appropriate reaction. Kirishima-Bakugo looked deadly serious, as opposed to her usual pissed off. And even she seemed slightly ill at ease at the prospects hidden behind that smile.

"Silence!" Aizawa roared, Quirk activating and setting his hair floating. Only once they had quieted down again did he speak.

"Funny you should ask, Todoroki," Aizawa said. "You all did an impressive job working together during the Sports Festival. I don't know which one of you came up with it, but it was impressive tactical thinking and perfect loophole exploitation. And since you all like working together, the teachers decided to change up some of the conditions of the Heroics exam."

There was a mad gleam in their teacher's eyes now. "Either you all pass… or no one does."

That night, Class 1-A gathered in the Common Room. As usual, Isamu sat on one of the couches with Shinso, Izumi, and Sora Iida. Midoriya and Tokoyami were at the front of their room, with a whiteboard. One of the other couches was occupied by Sero, Sato, Ojiro, and Tensei Iida. A third couch was occupied by Aoyama, Koda, Shoji, with Aoyama looking rather small compared to his two classmates. Mineta and Kaminari had pulled up chairs, while Kirishima-Bakugo stood behind the couch Isamu and the others were on, together with the class, but apart as always.

Most of them were chatting away, while Midoriya and Tokoyami, the Class Representatives (Yeah, that was definitely not a job he wanted.) tried to get everyone's attention, unsuccessfully.

"_**Hey!**_" Shinso shouted, putting just a little something into his voice to make it echo and pierce the noise. "Toshi and Asuka are trying to talk!"

_That_ got everyone to quiet down.

"Sorry Mom and Dad," Sero said. That got a laugh out of several people, until Kirishima-Bakugo moved to behind him and gave him a smack upside the head.

"Thank you, Shota," Asuka said. Frog-Shadow was out again, sitting on her shoulder. "So we have two things to discuss. The first is the formation of study groups for the subject area final exams. Math, Science, Literature, History, Science, and English."

"We're hoping to have someone who's doing well in each class lead some study sessions or make themselves available to answer questions," Midoriya said.

"We're all going to die," Ojiro wailed.

"Kimmie, it's not that bad," Sato tried to reassure her.

"This is just going to tank my grades, Kenta!"

"They couldn't be any worse than mine, Kimmie," Sero said, grinning.

She punched him in the arm. "That's not something to be proud of, Takuma!"

"Hey, leave him alone," Kaminari said. "He's the only person whise grades are worse than mine!"

"See," Sero said, flashing some finger guns, "when it comes to being the worse, I'm the best!"

Both of the Iida twins thrust their hands into the air. "We volunteer for science and math!" Sora Iida said.

"Ah, actually, Sora, I was thinking maybe not you?" Midoriya stammered, looking a bit red in the face. Telling your girlfriend no like that couldn't have been easy. "Not that you aren't smart! But, ah, you're both a _lot_ smarter than most of us. I don't know if you could dumb it down?"

The hands went down. "That is… acceptable," Sora said.

"We would not wish to hinder anyone's progress," Tensei agreed. "And we do have additional Support Class projects to complete."

Reluctantly, Isamu put his hand up. "I can probably handle science," he said. "It was mostly physics this term. I'm good at that." He had to be, thanks to his Quirk. Knowing how much force to apply and where it was going to send him flying and how much he needed to break at a certain speed was vital.

"Excellent, thank you," Tokoyami said. She handed her marker to Frog-Shadow, who looked at it curiously. "If you'd write that down?"

"**Why me?**"

"Because you asked to be more involved," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"**Oh, right!**" Frog-Shadow bubbled, before flying off to write his name down.

Mineta stuck a hand in the air. "I can take English," she said. "Vocab and translations, anyway. Grammar's still a little tricky."

"I guess that works," Midoriya said, though he didn't look like he believed it. "Just… be on your best behavior, okay?"

"When am I not? And besides, who am I to blame if someone gets a little hot for teacher?" She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"If that's your best behavior, Horse-Girl, I'd hate to see you worst," Kirishima-Bakugo growled.

"You know, technically, I'm more of a cow than a horse," Mineta began.

"Allow me to provide what Mineta cannot," Aoyama said, cutting off further diversion. He looked pretty smug about it. Of course, everyone knew that he and Mineta didn't get along. He was probably relishing an opportunity to show her up in something. "I am reasonably trilingual, after all, _n'est-ce pas?_"

"And I can take History," Izumi volunteered.

"Great!" Midoriya said. "Now we're getting somewhere…"

Eventually, they came back around to the subject of the Heroics final exam. Midoriya cleared his throat and looked a little red from embarrassment. "So, this is probably my fault, guys. The whole Sports Festival thing was my plan. Sorry I got us into this mess…."

"Oh, bullshit!" Kirishima-Bakugo snapped, causing all eyes to fall on her and Isamu to jump. "Maybe you threw some gas on the fire, Toshi, but you have to know Aizawa was planning something like this. Him and his "logical ruses.'" She crossed her arms and nodded, as if that explained everything.

"She does have a point, Toshi," Izumi said.

"She does?" Midoriya asked, surprised. Then he looked over at Kirishima-Bakugo, who was glaring at him. "She does!"

"You couldn't have known," Isamu said. "And it _was_ a good plan. I don't know if I'd have won if you hadn't gotten us that far." If he'd had to race and fight at the same time, without Mineta watching his back (making innuendos the whole way), he doubted he would have done half as well.

But it wasn't surprising that Midoriya thought it was his fault. The guy always seemed to fall into a pattern of trying to take care of all of them, which meant he was just as likely to try and shoulder all the blame.

"None of us blame you, Toshi," Tokoyami insisted.

"Besides," Isamu offered, "I talked to Kana over in 1-B…"

He was interrupted by Ojiro. "Did you hear that? He's using her first name now! Squeeee! They're getting closer!" She clapped, giddily.

Okay, he was going to pretend he didn't hear that. He really didn't need to end up the topic of conversation on her web show. "As I was saying, I was talking to Kana and she says Super-Ball told 1-B the same thing. Only not as scary as Aizawa was. They're pass or fail as a group too. She said Super-Ball said it was about building up their teamwork skills."

"My friend, Mizuno, from 1-C said much the same thing," Koda said. "Battle-Fist also emphasized the need for better teamwork."

"Looks like you sparked a revolution, Midoriya," Sero said, only to be silenced by a smack from Ojiro.

"Okay," Midoriya said, nodding, taking a couple breaths to steady himself. "So sounds like it was something they were going to do anyway. Not my fault. Good. But if the Heroics exam is going to be a pass/fail for everyone, we're going to need a plan."

"How are we going to do that?" Shoji asked. "We don't know what form the exam will take."

Midoriya nodded again, now in his element when a plan was required. "We don't," he agreed. "But we do know, whatever it is, it's going to require us to work together and it's going to be bigger than anything we've had tossed at us before now. That's the only reasonable extrapolation of the pass/fail condition.

"So that means," he went on, "we need to train like we've never trained before. Until anybody here can work with anybody else.

"Right now," Toshi finished, "it doesn't matter who your best friend is." He looked over at Sero, Ojiro, and Sato. "It doesn't matter who you don't get along with." This look was given to Aoyama and Mineta. "Or how mad everyone might make you." A look went out to Kirishima-Bakugo.

"Right now, we're all in this together. We're Class 1-A and we need to come together."

Shinso let out a cheer and a clap. Isamu had to admit, he felt pretty inspired.

"Fancy speech, Toshi," Kirishima-Bakugo said. "But you got a real plan to back it up?"

Midoriya looked a bit deflated at that. "Not entirely," he admitted. "But Asuka and I were going to discuss some likely scenarios. If you want to help, you're more than welcome."

"Damn straight, I will. I'm not letting any of you pull me down with you. We're gonna pass even if I have to kick your asses every inch of the way."

Midoriya's confidence returned. Even Isamu knew this was just her way. "Well, you heard her, people. We're going to pass!"

Somehow, this became a rallying cry.

"We're going to pass! PLUS UTLRA!"

Izumi's room always reminded Chihiro of the fact that while she was extremely well off (more from her mom's record sales than anything else), Izumi's family was so rich it practically made the word useless. There was a four poster bed, an ornate oak desk, wood paneling added to all the walls… even the desk lamp looked like it cost way more than things like that should. "Don't touch anything," she warned Mika.

Mika shot her a dirty look. "I'm not a child, Chi."

"You're not always graceful, Mika. Like a bull in a china shop."

"That's hurtful. And possibly racist"

Chihiro facepalmed at that. "I'd like to apologize for her in advance," she said.

"Please, do not worry about it," Izumi said, standing as they entered. "May I offer you tea and sweets?" She indicated the tea tray and plate she had already laid out.

After she and Mika had accepted Izumi's offering, all three took seats. "So what's up?" Chihiro asked. Izumi asking to talk to her was one thing; they were good friends. But other than when she was around, Mika and Izumi didn't usually have too much to do with one another. But she hadn't objected to Mika's presence, so…

"I need your help,"

Okay, add that to the list of things she never thought she'd hear. "I'm guessing not with homework or anything?" Chihiro said. "Because that's definitely not me." Izumi was way towards the front of the class anyway. So was Mika, for that matter, even though she rarely studied and often waited to the last minute for assignments. She belatedly realized she was the dumbest person in the room. On the other hand, she might still win the medal for most common sense.

"Not homework," Izumi assured her. "The matter is more personal."

"Is this about a guy? Or a girl?" Mika asked. "Because I was ninety-nine percent sure you didn't go for that."

Startled at her friend's abruptness, Chihiro smacked her upside the head with one of her Cords. "Don't be crude."

Izumi, fortunately, took it all in stride. "You are correct that I do not "go for that.'"

Huh. Chihiro had always known that Izumi hadn't displayed much interest in anyone, but given that her other best friend was interested in _everyone_, she'd figured it was just less interest, not none. How had she been that clueless?

"So what can we do for you?" Chihiro asked.

Izumi closed her eyes for a moment and took a breath. When she opened them, she looked as serious as Chihiro had ever seen her. "I do not wish to pursue this until after our exams, but I need to find my grandfather."

"What happened?" Mika asked, suddenly a lot more interested. "Was there a big tax scandal? Is Grandpa Yaoyorozu hiding out from the feds in the tropics?"

"No," Izumi said. "Not him. My grandfather on my father's side."

"Endeavor?" Chihiro asked. "Why?" A thought occurred to her, something that had come up during her Internship with Aunt Momo. "Wait, does this have anything to do with Plague?"

Next to her, Mika had pulled out her phone, but right now, her friend's rudeness wasn't her biggest concern.

Izumi's eyes went wide. "How do you know that name?"

"Daddy called Aunt Momo. Said you'd found out about somebody with that name."

Izumi took another moment to collect her thoughts. "What I am about to tell you cannot leave this room."

"Izumi, you're scaring me." While Izumi was almost always serious, her friend was _never_ this intense. Whatever it was, this all had to be incredibly important.

Izumi locked eyes with her. "Promise me, Chihiro."

Chihiro was really worried now, but kept eye contact. "Okay. I promise."

"Do you remember when I was sick?"

That did very little to narrow it down. Izumi had had plenty of health issues over the years. Chihiro had visited her in the hospital countless times. "You're going to need to specify, Izumi. You've been sick a lot."

"The time I was _very_ sick. The time that really started it all."

Oh yeah. _That _one. Chihiro looked at the floor. "I remember."

Izumi sighed. "During my internship, Uncle Denki let it slip that there was possibly something more... complicated behind it."

Daddy was in on whatever this was? "Complicated? How?"

"Complicated, as it was the implied that it was a villain, this "Plague," who caused me to become sick."

"Okay," Chihiro said, her head spinning as she tried to make sense of it. Nervously, she tapped the ends of her Cords together. "Okay, did you talk to your parents about this?"

Izumi shook her head. "I did not. After the Nomu attacks, Mother and Father...they wanted to pull me from the school. I exhausted myself. Again."

Of course they did. She knew it was ongoing drama with Izumi and her parents.

Before she could speak, Izumi held up her hand. "I managed to talk them down. For now. Part of me suspects that at the next big incident, the next time I falter, they'll try again. That's why I didn't ask them. I couldn't. I didn't want to bring up the pain they went through again."

Izumi pointed to a plush rabbit on her bed, one which looked fairly new. "I am certain he visited me in the hospital. Things are… becoming complicated."

Izumi inhaled deeply before continuing. "I've been thinking a lot since then. I've been remembering things. Things I thought I forgot. I want to find out what happened to me, but I cannot go to my parents. I can't go to anyone, not your father, not Uncle Deku, no one, because they will go to my parents. I know I can count on you to keep my secrets, both of you.

"I cannot burden Katsumi with this. She has enough to carry right now without carrying me as well. You do not have to help if you do not want to get in trouble-"

"Found him," Mika said, looking up from her phone.

"…How the _hell_ did you do that?" Chihiro asked. It could not possibly have been that easy.

"Daddy never changes his login ID or password for anything," Mika said. "I just used one of the databases available to Heroes to look up an address. It's not even that far."

Chihiro just stared. "Every time I think I've got you figured out…"

Izumi looked equally startled, worried, and pleased. "Thank you, Mineta," she said, quietly.

Mika shrugged. "Hey, what're friends for?"

Normally, Toshi did his morning jog with Katsumi, sometimes joined by Kana Tetsutetsu. He'd also occasionally convinced Haimawari to join them, though that was fairly rare. But this morning, he was alone. Katsumi had begged off for wanting to focus on weight training instead and Tetsutetsu was apparently busy with some emergency in her dorm, according to her text.

Which was fine. He could be alone with his thoughts. Like the thought that he didn't have idea one what they were getting into with the exam and it would definitely be his fault if they all failed, bringing shame upon the Midoriya name and leading to Sora dumping him and Katsumi killing him.

Well. That had escalated quickly.

"Mi… Midoriya!" The sound of his name drew him out of his panic. It came with labored breathing and he came to a stop, turning and seeing Shiro Monoma, dressed in workout clothes, running up behind him. Monoma wasn't out of shape, but he had a wiry build, more suited to agility and gymnastics, than Toshi's more muscular one.

"What's up, Monoma?" he asked. Monoma hadn't done anything antagonistic yet, which was a good sign. In fact, Toshi couldn't remember seeing him at all during the past week, or even hearing him, which was even stranger. He didn't have the same extreme dislike for the other boy that Katsumi did, but he would hardly say they were on friendly terms, even though they were neighbors. Honestly, he mostly did his best to ignore Monoma's jabs at the class.

"I need to talk to you about the exam," Monoma said.

"I don't know what they're going to do any more than you do," Toshi told him. "I can make a few educated guesses though, based on our Heroics classes and all though. Happy to talk, if you want."

He stole a glance at his watch. "Can we run though? I want to get this in before classes and my heart rate's already dropping."

Monoma looked rather pained by the prospect, but nodded. "Okay."

Since he wasn't completely unfeeling, Toshi did tone his run down to something slightly less than his usual, letting Monoma keep up. "So like I said, I don't really know, but I can guess. Got to be something large scale, if they're going to be able to score all of us on it. And that means something with a lot of different moving parts. Probably Villains to fight, people to rescue, maybe something to find like a bomb…"

Monoma was, to his credit, keeping up with Toshi, though he looked like he was pushing himself a bit to do it. "That's… good thinking…," he said, between breaths. "But not what I wanted to ask about."

"Then what?" Toshi asked.

"I need to know," Monoma said, with such seriousness that it took Toshi aback for a moment. "how you got… everyone to work… together."

Toshi took pity on him and slowed down a little more. "Everyone. Teamwork from the get go. How do you get them to follow you like that? How did you get all those different personalities to work together like that? How… how do you be a leader?"

Shiro's voice turned bitter. "I try and I try to make everyone better. I want them to succeed, I really do. But no one listens to me. I can't… Hardly any of my class made it through the final round. And I got lucky as it was. I'm worried about them and the final exam."

"Them?" Toshi asked. His phrasing there was odd. "Them," he'd said. Not "us".

Monoma frowned. "I had hoped to keep this a secret. Almost no one knows about this. But I'm leaving once this term is over. I'm not cut out for this. But with how the exam is going to work… I can't cost them their futures just because mine's going to be something else."

Toshi couldn't keep the surprise off his face, but fortunately, Monoma wasn't looking at him to see it. "You're…" he began. He actually came to a stop. Running was a good way to lose himself, and he needed all his wits now.

"I am," Monoma said, finishing the thought for him. He bent half off, breathing hard. He righted himself after a few breaths. "Don't try to talk me out of it."

Now Toshi frowned, but he nodded. "Not my place to do that. But I think it's a mistake."

Monoma shook his head. "It's not. But what about my class? And what about the exam?" There was a moment of silence, and then, "Please. I can't let failure be my entire legacy here."

If he lived long enough to become the new Number One Hero, Toshi never would have thought he'd have heard Monoma talk like this. Usually, the blond boy was full of bravado and confidence, always trying to prove his class's superiority over 1-A. And to be fair, 1-A contained the children of a large number of highly ranked Heroes, something that few of Class 1-B could claim. Of those with Hero parents, none of them were _low_ ranked, but there was a certain degree of disparity there. And a much larger portion of Class 1-B had no Hero parents at all.

"Okay, the first thing you have to remember," Toshi told him, "is that we're almost all childhood friends. Some of us more than others and in some different combinations… but we grew up together. Our parents are close and they passed that onto us. Trust's easy that way."

Given that his parent's Class A had gone through hell together over three years in a way that their contemporary Class B hadn't, it was easy to see where stronger bonds might have been forged.

Monoma nodded. "My father's class drifted more during the years. Kana is the only one I was anything close to growing up, along with Mika and Akaya."

"The other big thing is… Look. My dad's the Number One Hero. I wanted to do the best I could, but the Sports Festival was never about winning for me." And sure, he'd managed to share third place with Kocho. He was proud of his accomplishments, and he'd gone in intending to give it his all, but it hadn't been his main goal. Toshi would have been just as happy not to have placed, if it meant other of his friends did.

"So I went in it from the start doing it for them. And they knew that, so they went along with it. It wasn't even about beating your class or anybody else in the race; I just wanted to make sure everybody had the best chance they could. Somebody like Ojiro or Sato would have had a real hard time doing that in the obstacle course. So I asked everybody to take a step back _now_ so that they could all have something _later_."

It hadn't quite been as easy as he made it sound. Convincing Aoyama had been one of the most difficult parts, but the promise of future glories had eventually been enough.

"I don't know if I'd call myself the leader…," Toshi finished. "Some of them like to call me Team Dad, though. But I look out for them and trust them to look out for me. They know I won't ask them to do anything I wouldn't do."

Monoma looked as though he'd been punched. "…Shit." His expression devolved further, becoming truly miserable. "During the Sports Festival, I was so concerned with… things turning out a certain way, I pushed for flare and making a splash from the start. And not all of them even made it past the Obstacle Course. Maybe I really do drag them down. Maybe she was right."

Toshi frowned. This was turning pretty dark on him. And he wasn't sure who "she" was. "Look," he said. "You want what's best for them. That's admirable. But if you go so hard on trying to show somebody up, then that's all you're going to see. That's what Endeavor did for a long time, and you know what happened to him."

Monoma sighed, then nodded. "Then I am more certain than ever I've made the right choice. But at least I know what I can do for them to help everyone else pass. Thank you, Midoriya."

As Monoma left, Toshi wasn't certain at all that he'd said the right things there. It certainly didn't seem like a victory.

In the teacher's lounge, Aizawa looked over the finalized draft of the Heroics practical exam. Talking All Might into it had been difficult. He'd staked his job and reputation on it, but he believed the results would be worth it.

His students, all the students, were talented. But even with recent events, what they needed was a stark dose of reality to push them further along their paths. Back at U.A. after their Internships, it would be all too easy for them to fall back into the prospect of playacting, cut off again from the harshness that was their reality.

He looked at the profiles spread out in front of him. It was a gamble, still... but just what his students needed.


	65. Chapter 59: Final Exam Part 1

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 59: Final Exam Part 1: Read the Directions**

The two weeks had passed very quickly, filled with cramming and practicing, and just a little time for themselves. Midoriya and Tokoyami had been very insistent on that last point, stressing that looking after their mental health was just as important as their physical health and their academic progress. Isamu had been glad for the breaks, however brief they had been, as he'd gotten time to spend with his girlfriend. Class 1-B was just as busy with their exam prep, of course, but maybe once things were all over…

And the academic exams had indeed been rigorous, making the midterm look like a cakewalk by comparison. He was sure he'd done well on the physics exam, less so on the math exam (yes, physics was math, but the practical applications in physics made it a lot easier), with the rest falling on a spectrum of certainty. He was pretty sure he hadn't failed any of them, at any rate.

And then it was Friday morning, the day of their Heroics Exam. The day all of them had been dreading. Class 1-A filed into the classroom that morning with a tension hanging over the room like they were waiting for the dam to burst.

At the front of the room were Aizawa and All Might. The former looked less his unusual dispassionate self than like some vulture eagerly awaiting the moment where the guy drops dead. Isamu had a strong suspicion that whatever was going to go down in the exam, he had a heavy hand in it. All Might looked slightly more serious than usual as well.

"All Might is going to brief you on the details of the exam," Aizawa said. "As well as some additional announcements. Once those are complete, you'll change into your costumes and then we'll travel to the exam site."

"Ahem, yes," All Might said, stepping up to the podium. "First… the announcements! Starting with the next semester, I will no longer be your Heroics teacher."

That got a collective gaps from the class. "You didn't say anything about this, Grandpa Might!" Midoriya piped up. "What's going on?"

"Ah ah ah, you did not allow me to finish, Young Grandson!" All Might bellowed. "Yes, I will no longer be your Heroics teacher… for I will be your Principal!"

Well, that was unexpected. Sure, somebody had to get the job, but All Might? Isamu supposed he was a veteran Hero and teacher, but sometimes he just seemed so goofy it was hard to picture him in a position of authority like that!

All the same, he joined the rest of the class in clapping and cheering at the news. Of course, that left a new question open…

"We are current looking into a candidate to replace me as your teacher," All Might said, as though sensing the question lingering on the air. "We'll make the announcement about that when things are more certain."

Satisfied with that, All Might moved on to the matter of their exam. "As you already know," he began, "your exam will be pass or fail for the entire class. Aizawa, Vice-Principal Midnight, and I will be watching you during the entirety of it and scoring your performance accordingly."

All Might pressed a button on a small remote and a diagram of a vast cityscape. It looked like one of the training grounds, but not one Isamu was familiar with. "This is Training Ground Omega," he began. "A vast cityscape. While we have done numerous training exercises there with the second and third year Hero Courses, this will be your first time there. While Heroes typically patrol and act around their Agencies and familiar territories, they never know when they may be called to more distant action."

He pressed the remote again, cycling through pictures of the cityscape until it came to rest on a civilian defense shelter, a heavily protected building used in larger cities to give civilians a place to safely gather in the event of giant Villains or large-scale disasters and Villain attacks.

"For the purposes of your Exam, though," All Might continued, "it is Omega City. An isolated city devoted to scientific development. An unknown number of Villains have attacked the city, forcing the population into hiding. Many of them were able to make it the defense shelter, but many more still remain outside it. Furthermore, the Villains are after Doctor McGuffin."

A picture appeared on the screen. "_Recovery Girl?!_" the class shouted.

"Er, ah, no," All Might said. "Doctor McGuffin. They're after her Quirk research, which will make their own Quirks that much more powerful. But for the moment, she is safe in the shelter."

He clicked the remote again, bringing up a series of bulleted points. "You will have three hours for this exam and your objectives are threefold. In order of priority: protect the civilian defense shelter and Doctor McGuffin. They Villains _will _try to attack it and capture her. If they manage to get to the shelter and get her more than 100 meters away, you lose.

"The second objective is to rescue as many civilians still outside the shelter as possible. The Villains may potentially operating in any area of the city, so you many have to protect the civilians from them, in addition to rescuing any trapped or injured by the damage the Villains caused. We won't be giving you specific numbers, but if too many of them die, you lose.

"The third and final objective is to defeat or capture the Villains, or failing that, delay them long enough for time to run out and "help" to arrive. There's failure conditions built into this as well. You can't simply hole up and wait them out."

That… that was a lot. Almost to the point of being overwhelming. Even with sixteen of them out there, it was a lot of ground to cover and a lot to keep track of. Isamu could see Midoriya in the front row, already hunched over and scribbling furiously in his notebook. The way his mind worked, he probably already had the layout memorized and six plans in mind. And it didn't look like All Might was done either.

"However, we will also be evaluating you on a variety of criteria, including your performance in the field, your decision making, your initiative and innovation, and your ability to work together. Being defeated or knocked out does not necessarily mean a loss or a failing grade, depending upon the circumstances involved."

Which meant he couldn't just sit back and let the others take the lead. He was good at letting other people take charge like that. But maybe he could step up here. So many people had seen something in him. They couldn't all be wrong. …Could they?

"In addition to those watching and Recovery Girl," All Might added, "Doc Clock and Water Spout will be in the shelter as civilians and will intervene if and only if it becomes absolutely necessary for your safety. Robots will represent civilians in the field.

"Make no mistake," All Might finished, "this is as serious a challenge as you have ever faced. But you have all performed remarkably this semester and I have every faith in your ability to go beyond!" He flashed a "V"-sign. "Plus Ultra!"

Before the class could join in, Aizawa shut that down. "You've been briefed. Get changed into your costumes and be outside on the bus in ten minutes."

There was fifteen seconds of stunned silence before they bolted from their seats to their costume storage cubbies.

The civilian defense center was behind them, along with several smaller buildings, most of which looked damaged and broken. But there was nothing behind it, so they only had to worry about attacks coming from the sides and front. And maybe above, if any of the Villains had flying Quirks. Those weren't super-common, but not uncommon either, especially when there were two of them in their class alone. Off in the distance, the sounds of destruction could be heard, and smoke could be seen rising from a few different points.

Yeah, Isamu thought, they were definitely being dropped right into the middle of the action. Sixteen of them against an unknown number of Villains with unknown powers, an unknown number of civilians to rescue, and a whole lot more unknowns.

They had ten minutes to strategize and then the exam would begin. Isamu adjusted his gloves and kneepads, then made sure his bandanna and goggles were on tight.

"What's the plan, Gravi-Might?" he asked, using Midoriya's codename now that were in the field. Maybe he shouldn't have been deferring to him so easily, but the green-haired boy was usually the first one with a plan. Isamu had given it some thought on the way over, mostly recognizing that he should probably be one of the people out in the field. The more space he had to operate in, the better, even with perfecting his ability to turn his sliding field into projectiles.

Midoriya bent down and sketched a quick outline of the cityscape in the dirt, getting some on his bare fingers. "Okay, so some of us need to stay here and protect the shelter. The Villains are after Doctor McGuffin, so they're going to show up here before too long. But the rest of us need to cover the cityscape and look for civilians."

"And the Villians," Kirishima-Bakugo (Bombshell, he reminded himself) said, fiddling with the disk-launchers built into her gauntlets. Of course she'd be more interested in fighting.

Midoriya drew three arrows in the dirt. "Three search and rescue groups, one going this way, one going this way, and one going this way. Splitting up as needed."

There was the sound of another explosion. Mineta (Purple Rein) pointed off in the distance. "I recommend starting the opposite of thattaway."

"Who goes where?" Sero asked, his pink face visible behind the clear visor of his helmet. Isamu still couldn't believe he'd gotten "Stick 'Em Up" approved as his Hero name.

"We need to focus on defense, mobility, and rescue," Midoriya said. "I'm going to stay here. I'd like Shock Jock, Purple Rein, and Thermo-Dyanmic with me."

Izumi winced at that, the indicator bands from the regulator rig on her blue and orange costume showing a cheery green. "I am capable of field action," she said, firmly. The look in her eyes was challenging, reminding him of her match with Kirishima-Bakugo in the Sports Festival. She and Midoriya were good friends, but Isamu thought he respected her abilities more than that to sideline her…

Midoriya shook his head rapidly. "It's not that. Your ice walls will make for the perfect defense if it comes down to the wire," he said.

Oh, right. Duh. Fortunately, Izumi accepted the answer with a small nod. "Very well."

"Other than that… Slyde, Jet-Red, Jet-Blue, I want one of each of you in each of the rescue groups. Somebody who can get from place to place quickly if they have to. And then I want Bombshell, Radiance, and Amaterasu to go with separate groups to spread out our heaviest hitters."

"About time you recognize my usefulness," Aoyama said, giving his cape a flick. He was already glowing brightly in the sun.

A rapid-fire discussion followed and teams were quickly assigned. Isamu was working with Tokoyami, Ojiro, and Sero. A pretty good balance of skills there. He just had to be sure he was pulling his own weight and not letting anybody down.

An alarm klaxon sounded.

All Might's voice rang out over the loudspeakers. "Your exam begins… _**NOW!**_"

As Toshi watched the three search and rescue groups move off, he wished them all the best of luck. He had a feeling they were going to need it. Everyone was going to have to give their all here, himself included. No coasting, no trying to boost the others at the cost of himself. If they all didn't do this just right… they all failed.

So no pressure or anything.

They'd all been issued headsets for communication. That would make things easier if things got bad in any direction. Plus he had Kaminari on his team, who had additional communications equipment in her new costume she could power with her Quirk. He tapped the headset twice, the frequency for inside the shelter. "This is Gravi-Might," he said. "My fellow Heroes and I are the scene. No signs of trouble here, but we've dispatched Heroes to look for survivors. Everyone okay in there? Is Doctor McGuffin safe?"

"_We're all right here,_" came Uncle Kota-Water Spout—'s voice, playing the part of a civilian. "_Including Doctor McGuffin. Scared, but alive._"

"Headcount?"

"_Over a hundred, counting myself. I don't know how many are still out there._"

To be expected. Their teachers wouldn't make this easy on them.

"Thank you," he replied. "Don't be afraid. We're here and we're not going to let those Villains get past us."

In the distance, he could hear a rumbling. "Okay," he told the others. "I'm going to get some height. Thermo-Dynamic, ice barriers at the choke points. Shock Jock, Purple Rein, get ready for anything."

Toshi took a breath, canceled his gravity, and jumped. The civilian defense shelter was only two stories tall, with most of its space being underground. He landed easily, quickly scanning in every direction. Even if there was no "behind" the shelter, due to how the training ground was set up, he didn't want to be docked points for missing a potential avenue of attack. Too many small mistakes would probably be just as bad as a big one.

Below, he saw Izumi's ice walls going up, blocking off the streets. Maybe not the best idea? They'd keep the search and rescue team from returning easily, but between the Twins, Haimawari, and his own Quirk, they could probably work past it? Protecting the shelter was the primary mission objective…

Dammit, there were way too many choices here. Was this what Dad and Mom felt like all the time?

The rumbling continued. Something big and heavy was definitely coming their way. He could see them now. A massive metal man, coming in from the north. Not one of the teachers or any of the rest of the school staff. Maybe it was another Hero that Aizawa had roped into things? There were a few different Heroes who could turn themselves into metal, but at this distance, he couldn't tell if it was any of them. Maybe binoculars would be a good idea to add to his costume.

He tapped his communicator. "Coming in from the north," he said. "Big metal guy."

"My ice wall is in place," Izumi said. "Solid and a foot thick. I am not sure how long it will hold. But I can reinforce it, if needed."

"This isn't a sprint," Toshi said. "It's a marathon. Let's see what he does."

Below, he could see Mineta seeding the ground in front of Izumi's barrier with her sticky balls. Kaminari adjusted some device on her new costume's gauntlets, plugging her Cords into them. Ever since she'd gotten the new costume, Kaminari hadn't fried her brain once during training. He hoped that would stay true for the exam.

"Coming up quick," he told the others. How could anybody that big—built like a sumo wrestler—and made of what looked like solid metal move that fast? Had he seen him before, maybe in some old video? The distorted metal face and the distance made it difficult to see. For a moment, he'd wished he'd kept Shota on his team. He'd probably know, even that far out. "Brace yourselves."

The metal man crashed through Izumi's ice wall like it wasn't even there. Toshi took a couple steps back, then launched himself off the roof. He dropped like a missile, increasing his gravity several times over.

_**CLANG!**_

Toshi hit the metal guy hard, making a sound that made his ears hurt. But he bounced off, smacking into the outside of shelter with an impact that made his bones rattle, even with the gravity turned up.

There was a terrible screeching sound as the metal man's face twisted up in a cruel smile. "Gonna have to do better than that, kid."

"What could do this kind of damage?" Iida asked, as Katsumi's team made their way through the cityscape. His expression was unreadable behind his silver helmet, but the tone was unmistakable. "I am seeing intense structural damage, multiple fires, compromise power grid…" He dropped out of the sky, firing his Jetpack Quirk in short bursts to land.

"Doesn't matter," Katsumi said. "We get the people out and if we run into any Villains, we hit them until they stop moving." Something about this whole thing felt… off. Maybe she was just still wound up over, well, everything going on in her life right now. But nothing was ever easy or simple where Aizawa was involved.

Right now, though, there was a job in front of them: search and rescue. Not her forte, but there wasn't anything out there she couldn't do.

"Heroes are here!" she shouted. "Call out!"

"Over here!'

"Oh thank goodness!"

"I need help! I'm hurt!"

"My wife… you've got to help my wife!"

More voices quickly followed, tinny and robotic. Most were coming from the nearby ruined buildings. Too many of them. How the hell were they supposed to know who to help first? They were all buried inside or trapped somewhere. No way to assess.

She took a breath. Make a decision and commit to it. The same way she did everything else.

"Okay," Katsumi said. She was grateful now, more than ever, for having done her Internship with Aunt Ochaco. Even if it has started disastrously, she was more prepared than ever for the ins and outs of rescue work. "With Villains on the loose, we gotta play this smart. Nobody on their own. We do pairs. Arms, you're with me. We're going right. Lips, go with Jetset to the left. Call out if you need help."

"Question," Sato said, raising his hand. "Do you not actually know our names?"

"Question time's over," she snapped. "We're burning daylight! Move!"

She didn't bother looking to see if Shoji was following her. Instead, she took off to the nearest building. The storefront was damaged, but accessible. Even the plate glass window was intact for the moment. Inside, shelving units had been overturned and the lights were out. The lights were out, but enough sun still filtered through from outside that she could see. A thick cloud of dust hung in the air, causing her to cough. Definitely needed a filter or a rebreather or something on her suit when this was over. Canned goods, boxes of nonperishable, and fresh fruits and vegetables were strewn all over the ground. "Rescue's here! Call out!" she shouted again, eyes scanning.

A tinny but clear groan reached her ears and she saw a robot pinned under one of the shelves. With Shoji behind her, she quickly sprinted over. "Hey," she said, "we're here. It's gonna be okay." She reached out and touched his neck, then double-checked the stimulated pulse in his free arm. "Breathing" seemed okay too. The robots designed for rescue training were stupidly lifelike in some ways.

Not like what had happened during her Internship. Safe, survivable injuries. This, she could handle.

"Vitals are stable," she said. "We're gonna get you out of here." She felt a little foolish reassuring a robot, but they'd had to do so during rescue training at the USJ, so she figured it was being tracked here too. She turned to Shoji. "Think you can lift this? Doesn't look like any real crush injuries."

Shoji nodded, not bothering with words. They weren't close, couldn't even really call him a friend, but she respected that he just got down to business without wasting a lot of words. Definitely in the least amount of nonsense category for her classmates.

With not even a grunt, he hefted the shelf off the robot. "Anyone else here?" he asked.

"Just me," the robot reported.

That was some good news, at least. Shoji scooped him up to carry him outside, carefully using his many arms to support him in case of other injuries. As they passed the doorway into the street, a light one of the robot's chest turned green.

"Rescue complete," the robot said. "You may set me down."

As Shoji did so, Katsumi looked around. The building across the street's entrance had been blocked when they'd first passed, covered in rubble. Now though, it looked like someone had eaten their way through it. Sato then. Good. But where was he and Iida?

The answer to that came in the form of the sound of a fist hitting metal. Iida's body came flying through the chewed-entrance, landing on the street in front of them. He was still moving, though, even with a dent to his chest armor, slowly getting back to his feet, His arrival was followed shortly by the biggest woman Katsumi had ever seen, larger and more muscular than even All Might in his heyday.

Of Sato, there was no sign.

Though her own exams had finished on Thursdays, Koharu wasn't thinking too much on the results. With her getting into the Hero Course being partially dependent on passing those, she'd studied like there was no tomorrow, cramming in knowledge until she felt like she could practically fire out her String Shot in the shape of the texts she'd consumed. She was pretty sure she'd run Mogura and Tokuda ragged with all the studying.

No, what she was thinking about was the Hero Course final exam unfolding in front of her on a wall of monitors. When All Might had offered her the opportunity to watch the exam and get a first-hand look at what she'd be getting herself into, she'd jumped at the chance.

So now she was in the monitor room with the former Number One Hero, a woman who despite being more than old enough to be her mother was still distractingly attractive, and Class 1-A's homeroom teacher, who gave off the impression of being a hobo they'd picked up off the street, despite also being, somehow, incredibly frightening. He was sitting bolt upright in his chair, eyes darting from screen to screen. All Might and Vice-Principal Midnight were watching too, but they paused occasionally to take notes. Aizawa never looked down. She was glad to be on the other side of the room from him. He was frighteningly intense.

And he was going to be her teacher next year!

Midoriya and Haimawari she knew already, and she'd been talking with Ojiro, Sero, and Sato since the Sports Festival. The others, she was mostly unfamiliar with. She's fought Mineta at the Sports Festival, and had been on Kirishima-Bakguo's team during Quirkball, but beyond recognizing some names, she didn't really know anything about the rest.

She found herself scribbling down as many notes as she could. What to do in emergency situations, what her future classmates were capable of, questions to ask later. She'd been given a great opportunity and was determined not to waste it.

The way Class 1-A worked together… she could tell most of them had grown up together. There was a trust and teamwork between all of them that she envied. Even Haimawari, who was the self-professed "new guy," seemed to fit in like a glove.

And despite how well it had carried her, her Quirk suddenly seemed very small and insignificant by comparison to theirs. Powers over gravity, electricity, speed, fire and ice… could she really keep up with that?

"Your grandson is a natural leader," Midnight told All Might.

"He gets that from Izuku," All Might said. "He always had a way of finding friends and making people want to listen to him."

"They're too reliant on him," Aizawa said, flatly. "We should have forbidden him from coming up with any of the plans."

"You know as well as I do that wouldn't have worked," Midnight said. "You might as well try and stop the Iida twins from being exuberant or Mineta from being so _enthusiastic_."

"I would if I could. And that isn't the word I'd use to describe that girl."

"Still," All Might said, "they're off to a good start."

"We'll see what happens when they get into the real meat of the exam," Aizawa replied. "Which should be right… about… now."

"I'm still not sure about this," All Might said, actually sounding a bit worried. On a few of the screens, Koharu could see costumed individuals starting to engage with the teams. "I know you vetted them, Aizawa, but still…"

"What?" Aizawa asked. "Their world just got infinitely more dangerous over their Internships." That was putting it mildly, Koharu thought. "History is repeating itself. You don't think they need this push?"

"No, that's not what I…"

"There's no room for playing it soft anymore," Aizawa said. But it was what he said next that made her blood run cold. "They're fighting real Villains now."


	66. Chapter 60: Final Exam Part 2

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 60: Final Exam Part 2: Multiple Choice**

Shota took in a deep breath and let out a scream, high-pitched and powerful. The sonic waves passed through the buildings ahead of them and then bounced back, giving him a detailed outline of everything and every_one_ those waves had touched. It was like seeing a picture in his head, online mostly just in sharp blue outlines. Normally, he couldn't get this good of a picture. Solid objects slowed down the soundwaves and bounced them back. But with so many of the buildings having shattered windows or other hole in them, he could get a much better picture of what was going on.

"I count four people in the buildings," he said, pointing. "Two there, one there, one there. Plus three people outside it and at least four more people up past that building, but it gets fuzzy after that."

"Good job, Shinso," Sora Iida told him. In her red and silver armor, combined with her height, she stood out distinctly in the morning sun. "I can scout ahead and take the far point, while you three work on the closer rescues."

"Who put you in charge?" Aoyama asked. He was lit up like a small sun himself; with his arms and face exposed, his glow made him hard to even look at directly.

"Do you have a better suggestion?" Iida asked. It wasn't a challenge, the way Kirishima-Bakugo might have asked it, but genuine interest. Of course, given Iida's scientific leanings, she would be interested in the best outcome.

"…_Non_," he admitted. His shoulders slumped and he gave his cape a flick. "Let us do your plan then."

"We must also be vigilant against the presence of Villains, Aoyama," Koda said, cautiously. She usually was the one to rein Aoyama in when he was getting an attitude or pouting. "Iida is the fastest of us. If anyone should be scouting ahead, it is her."

Aoyama crossed his arms, but grumbled his assent. Shota knew he liked to show off and be the center of attention, but now really wasn't the time for it. Not with all of them passing or failing depending on it. Shota was already worried enough that he was going to drag everyone down… He'd kept it together during training since he came back to school, but this was a lot more intense.

"You are correct as always, _Mademoiselle __Koda," Aoyama conceded._

_The matter settled, Iida said, "Remember, we are to check in with Tos—Gravi-Might and the others in ten minutes, unless they contact us first." With the roar of her Jetpack, the wings of her costume snapped up and she took off, quickly speeding into the distance._

Shota, Koda, and Aoyama snapped into action as well. None of them possessed Quirks which granted much speed, but they were all still in good enough shape for a quick jog. On the road ahead of them, a pair of cars had crashed into each other. One had been abandoned, but the other was crushed where a downed electrical pole had landed on it. It showed no obvious signs of still being active, but…

"Hang on, sir!" Shota called out to the robot behind the wheel of the car. "We're going to get you out!"

From the robot, there was no response. Unconscious, then? That meant they really needed to move.

Fortunately, Koda was one step ahead of him. From the seed pouch on her belt, she produced a handful of seeds and tossed them near the car. Once in the ground, she applied her Quirk and they immediately started to grow, becoming vines that wrapped their way around the pole, covering each stray wire, and slowly lifting it off the car.

"My hastily grown friends do conduct a little electricity," she said, "but not enough to do them significant harm. And far less harm than that would do to us."

Aoyama stepped in next. With the car partially smashed, there was no way they were just opening the door to get the robot out. From the mirrored wristband on his right arm, he released a small portion of his stored light, going for a concentrated blue-white laser beam that cut through the car like a hot knife going through butter, leaving an orange-hot line behind it. When he had gone completely around the edge of the door, he took a quick step back as it fell.

"Watch the edges!" Shota said. "They're going to be hot!"

Aoyama shot him a dirty look. "I know that!" he snapped. But the look on Aoyama's face said he didn't. With care, though, he extracted the robot. "Do not worry," he told it. "We shall get you somewhere safe."

Getting it a safe distance away was enough for the robot to tell them they had completed its rescue. The other rescues went just as quickly. Shota was even able to use his Quirk to blast away some rubble, letting Koda and Aoyama finish up the rescue. It felt good. Even if they were robots, using his Quirk to _find_ people, to _help_ them, not to cause harm, was a welcome change. Still, some small part of him still flinched at unleashing the more destructive aspects of his Quirk, even for rescue work. He could still see the Nomu simply disintegrating under his power. Even if it had turned out not to be alive, he hadn't know that at the time…

With a road of jet engines, Iida returned, landing near them. "I was able to rescue two, but I will need additional support for the others," she said. "But first… Loud Kid, another sonar sweep, if you would, in case the parameters have changed?"

Shota nodded. But just before he could let out another sonar pulse, a loud _crack_ sounded, echoing off the buildings. _Something_ struck Aoyama in the head and he went down!

Isamu skidded to a stop, braking hard with a bit of reverse-thrust. The section of Omega City his group had headed to was a wreck, looking like a tornado had hit it. Robot civilians were running from a Villain, a muscular man with bird-like feet that ended in sharp talons, hair that turned into feathers and spread along his back, and massive wings. He wore tattered jeans and very little beyond that, with tattoos covering the space on his back between his wings. When he flapped his wings, he unleashed massive gusts of wind, blowing over everything in his path. The tornado theory was looking pretty solid.

The Villain hadn't noticed them yet, content in his rampage, with his back to them. His shock momentarily halted, Isamu stood up. Already, he could feel his heart thudding in his chest. Even if this was some Pro-Hero helping out U.A. or one of the other year teachers or something, this _felt_ like a Villain attack. Whoever they were, they were doing a damn good job getting into their role.

Of course, if he was a Hero, Isamu felt like he should have recognized him. But there weren't a lot of Pro-Heroes with wings (Hawks and Kestrel immediately came to mind, but this definitely wasn't either of them) and this guy didn't seem to match up to any of them. Maybe from another country? He wasn't so good with those.

"That's right!" the winged man shouted. "Run! Run!" He flicked his wings forward again, sharply. The wave of air was more compressed this time, slicing through everything in its path. The change in air pressure was _intense_. Even as far away as they were, even from behind him, Isamu could fell it. This guy's Quirk might make him even stronger than Gale Force…

"…I'm open to suggestions here," Sero said. "I mean, I could probably shoot some Tape at him, but those wings look pretty strong. I'd have to take him completely by surprise and I'm just not fast enough to wrap him up before he notices."

"Yeah, this why I'm going into Rescue Heroics," Ojiro added. "I guess I could go invisible and kick him in the balls…"

"X-Ray," Isamu said, and he had to force himself to say Sero's Hero name, "Stick 'Em Up… Rescue the civilians. Amaterasu and I will get his attention and hold him off."

Behind the clear face plate of his costume, Sero gave him an astonished look, then performed an exaggerated salute. "It's been nice knowing you, man. You ready, Kimmie?"

Ojiro nodded, a gesture only visible because of the visor she wore with her eye-searingly bright costume. Sero wrapped an arm around her and in the blink of an eye, they both became invisible, shielded from view by the power of her Quirk. Isamu heard the "thwip!" sounds of Sero firing off a strand of his Acid Tape and he knew they were on the move.

Tokoyami's expression was more unreadable, but Isamu had known her long enough now to read some of the more subtle movements of her feathers and her eyes. She was uneasy, but ready to fight.

Training had mostly pitted them against robots or, occasionally, each other. And yes, they'd been allowed to engage some very minor level criminals and Villains during their Internships. But this was something different entirely. Who even _was_ this guy?

"Ready?" he asked her.

"Ready," she said.

"Could be bad," he said. "Guy seems pretty powerful."

"So are we," she said. "Have confidence, Haimawari."

She had a point. "I'll go low. You go high."

There was a small nod between them, and Isamu launched himself forward, employing his Quirk as soon as he hit the ground. "Hey!" he shouted, pouring on the speed and trying to get the guy's attention. "How about picking on someone your own size, you big blowhard!"

That got the guy's attention. He turned quickly and Isamu could now see that he had harsh, yellow eyes like a bird as well. "Well, well," the guy said, a trace of a Chinese accent in his voice, "if it isn't the brave little Heroes!" His wings flared out and Isamu felt a massive gust of wind push against him. He poured on the thrust, fighting against it, more grateful than ever for the goggles and bandanna protecting his eyes, mouth, and nose. There was plenty of dust and debris in the air that could have been really nasty otherwise.

Fortunately, he was just the distraction. With the bad guy focusing on him, he didn't see Tokoyami's Frog-Shadow snaking around from above. But suddenly, Frog-Shadow swerved from her path, flying erratically through the air, until she smashed into the ground, leaving a small crater from the impact. Isamu too, suddenly saw the world spinning around him, making it impossible to tell where the street was. He swerved, hard, and saw a wall coming up right in front of him…!

Midoriya had one of the strongest Quirks in the class, up there with Izumi, Shinso, and Tokoyami, and he'd bounced off the Villain like a ragdoll! He was getting back up, but it would take him a minute. That impact looked like it was going to hurt tomorrow.

The metal man grinned in a way that vaguely reminded Chihiro of Kirishima-Bakugo, the same kind of "this is gonna be a fight and I'm gonna enjoy it" sort of smile she got before she punched someone. It was made all the worse by the truly _massive_ underbite the guy had. His bottom jaw was huge, like the scoop bucket on a steam shovel. Where the hell had U.A. found this creepazoid? It was part of the exam, right? It hadn't been crashed by some real Villain, had it? No, if that was the case, Aizawa and the other teachers would be intervening already…

"You going try and fight me like the green kid there?" the metal man asked. Despite looking like a thug, he didn't sound stupid or uneducated. The voice was deep, rumbling, and confident like a champion fighter. "Nothing wrong with running. I've fought plenty of Heroes before and come out on top. I don't like fighting girls, but if I have to…. Well, I'm not leaving without the doc."

"Girls"? Mika repeated. She stamped a hoof on the ground and pointed an indignant finger. "The _nerve_ of this guy! We're Heroes in training! And he's trying to softball us? I demand the right to be fought just like a guy!"

Anybody else, Chihiro would have thought they were babbling. But among Mika's many skills was _provocation_. It had worked well for her during the Sports Festival and judging by the guy's expression, it was working now.

"I mean, really," Mika went on, "what rock did they find you under? Haven't you heard of women's liberation? Have you even _talked_ to a woman in the last twenty years..?"

The metal man let out a roar and charged, smashing his metal fists down. Mika dodged out of the way and his fists hit the ground. Or rather, they hit what was _on_ the ground: Mika's sticky balls, the trap she'd seeded earlier.

He tried to pull his fists back but was unsuccessful, the sticky balls adhering quite well to his fists and the ground. His eyes widened in surprise as he realized he was trapped.

"Shock-Jock!" Izumi called out. "Now!"

Which was when Chihiro and Izumi let him have it. Her Cords slinked down and plugging into her bracers and she brought her hands up, sending out dual blasts of electricity. Bless Aunt Momo and Mrs. Hatsume, they did their job well, specialized circuits in the bracers and gloves directed the electricity in a straight line. Izumi, meanwhile, released some of the heat she had stored up from building the ice walls, projecting yellow-orange blasts of flame at the guy.

Her electric attack hit first, setting the guy twitching and screaming, before Izumi's flames washed over him, turning some of his metal body white hot. Chihiro actually felt kind of bad. This was still just the exam, right? She had to take it serious, but she didn't want to give the guy permanent nerve damage or anything.

Izumi ceased her fire attack and held up a hand. Chihiro caught the signal and let up on her electric one. The guy stood there, groaning, his metal skin making a slight _pinging_ sound as it cooled.

"That _hurt_," he snarled. "But this is going to hurt more!" With a massive grunt, he freed his arms, not by removing Mika's balls from them, but instead simply being strong enough to tear the sections of ground they were attached to up with them.

"…That's new," Mika said, quietly.

Fortunately, by this time, Midoriya had recovered. "GRAVITY...BOOSTER!" He shot forward like a rocket, then hit the guy with an uppercut that made her ears ring. The metal guy was in motion this time, not braced like before and went flying high into the air from the force of the blow, disappearing from sight.

Still, Chihiro couldn't help but stare, wide eyed. "You _sure_ All Might is only your step-grandpa?" she asked.

He didn't bother answering her question. "See if you can get any of the other teams on the comms. Mine got smashed when I hit the wall."

Kenta had been exploring the inside of the building with Tensei Iida, looking for people to rescue, when _something_ had taken them by surprise. Or rather, _someone: _a massive, muscular woman who looked like she could snap you in half just by staring at you hard enough, the kind that Mineta would say could crush your head between her thighs. And for just a moment, Kenta had frozen, the memory of the Nomu rearing up over him playing on a continuous loop in his head.

Iida had saved him, rushing in with his Jetpack to shove him out of the way. The woman had hit Iida instead and seemingly forgot about Kenta. He hoped Iida was okay. It would be _really_ bad if he had to tell Takuma he'd gotten his boyfriend killed or put in traction.

Great. He was making jokes at a time like this. Takuma really was rubbing off on him.

He forced himself to get moving, heading back out the way he had come in. Outside, he could see all three of his classmates (Iida was upright, that was good!, even if he was sporting a nasty dent on his armor!) fighting with the woman. Her costume left a lot to be desired, being only stylized biker gear, with heavy spikes on the shoulders of her jacket.

Kirishima-Bakugo fired off a round of disks from her gauntlets, peppering the ground with a series of small explosions that kept the woman off balance, while Iida flew around behind her and snagged her with a capture-line from his gauntlet. After they'd taken her off balance and restrained her, Shoji moved in, swinging all three of his right-side arms.

Great. He was definitely going to fail the exam and make everyone else fail. Because he'd frozen up like a damn coward. Maybe one bad moment wouldn't be enough. But he needed to make himself useful somehow…

Shoji's blows connected, but they didn't rock the woman back even an inch. Thought the bottom half of his face was covered, Kenta could see Shoji's eyes widen in surprise. The woman just laughed.

"No bad, kid," she said. "That was a nice gift. Let me return the favor!"

She flexed her arms and snapped Iida's capture line like it was made of string, then hit the six-armed boy with a blow that sent him flying.

"Finally!" Kirishima-Bakugo shouted, throwing her head back and laughing. "A challenge!"

She charged, lashing out at the woman with a series of close-range blows. Every time a blow connected, she fired off an explosion. Some kind of contact transfer from her gloves, if he remembered right. It was hard to keep up with everyone's costume and Support Gear updates. Maybe he needed to invest in something if he wanted to keep up.

The woman may have been sent off balance by the explosions fired at her feet, but this time, they didn't seem to do anything. They didn't even singe her skin.

Kirishima-Bakugo took a step back, fists still at the ready, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "What the _hell_, lady? What're you made out of?!"

"Can't stop everything by hitting it, girl," the woman sneered. She swung her fist in a wide arc, but Kirishima-Bakugo was lighter on her feet, dodging out of the way. Iida swooped in, striking out at high speed. The blow clipped the woman's chin, knocking her back for a moment and spinning her head around, before she struck out, faster than anyone that big should be able to move, swatting Iida from the sky.

What the hell was he supposed to do against that?

Wait…

She'd gone from being thrown off balance by Kirishima-Bakugo's explosions to being unaffected. She'd shrugged off blows from Shoji but gotten her head spun around by Iida. Even with Iida putting his speed behind it, Shoji had a lot more power to his punches. What if she had to know a blow was coming to block it?

_Hang on guys_, he silently pleaded. He had an idea… he just needed her to stay in one place long enough.

He'd say this for all three of them, they kept taking her hits, but they kept getting back up again. And the huge woman gave as good as she got. She'd called Shoji's blow a "gift" too…

But there, a telephone pole, right across the street…

As he ran towards the telephone pole, Kenta did a little math in his head, grateful for the fact that unlike Takuma and Kimmie, he actually paid attention in class. There was lots of math involved in baking and he was good enough at helping his dad to do some calculations on the fly. If she didn't move too much, it would be just about right.

_**CHOMP! **_Kenta's jaw muscles were strong and he could open his mouth wider than a normal person could. Combined with the fact that his teeth were incredibly tough, he could bite through anything _very_ quickly. He bit, chewed, and swallowed as fast as he could, feeling like some kind of beaver as he worked his way through the wood. He kept his eye on the fight and the woman was still in just about the right position. In seconds, the telephone pole started to pitch forward. "TIMBER!" he shouted, giving it a strong push to finish the job.

He saw Shoji backpedal out of the way and Iida grab Kirishima-Bakugo (who protested that she wanted to stay and fight), and the woman try ineffectually to hit them as they fled.

_**THUMP!**_

The telephone pole came down on her hard, driving her into the ground. She'd started to turn, but hadn't had time to fully do… whatever it was she did. For the moment, she was trapped.

"Sato!" Kirishima-Bakugo shouted. She looked mad. Probably about him "stealing" her victory. "How the _hell_ did you do that?" When she couldn't was left unsaid.

He ran across the street to join the others. "I think… I think she can absorb whatever force you throw at her. But she has to know it's coming. I just got lucky."

Kirishima-Bakugo scowled. "Yeah, okay. …Not bad, Lips."

"As soon as I get out of here," the woman yelled, "you're dead! You hear me! You're all dead!" Already, she was struggling and working her way out.

"We'll see who's deader, ya witch!" Kirishima-Bakugo shouted back. "I'm gonna explode you so hard your grandkids will have burn marks!" She brought up a gauntlet, ready to fire it.

"Ah," Shoji began. He put a hand on her gauntlet.

"_What_?" she demanded.

"Perhaps we should continue our rescue work while she's trapped?"

"I agree," Iida added. "She is quite capable of neutralizing our attacks and is more than ready to anticipate them. We should rescue who we can, retreat, and fight another time."

Kenta raised a hand slightly.

"You're gonna agree with them, aren't you?" Kirishima-Bakugo demanded. Her teeth were gritted in anger, her body language tense. She was not exactly the type of person who ran from a fight.

He gulped, then nodded. "Maybe we can get somebody like Kaminari or Todoroki or even Takuma or Minet to fight her. Somebody more zappy or who can restrain her."

"AAAAARRRRGH!" Kirishima-Bakugo let out a scream of frustration. "Dammit, you're right. _Fuck_!"

She gestured off in the opposite direction they'd come. "Iida, get eyes in the air, get on the comms and get somebody we can use. The rest of you, move!"

"Aoayama!" Koda cried out. The glowing boy went down, smacking his head on the ground, before any of them could react. But they had little time to panic. More shots followed the fist, one several impacting into the ground, others ricocheting off the building behind them. One even stuck Iida, making a clang where it hit her armor.

In response, Shinso screamed. But it was not a scream of panic, instead, he directed the soundwaves outward until they formed a protective, shimmering dome around three of them. Akaya said a small prayer that their classmate was all right. It may have only been an exam, but students had been greatly injured in training and exams before.

"Is he…?" she began, softly, bending down to examine Aoyama.

Around them, shots bounced off of the force field dome Shinso was screaming into existence. They came quickly and from multiple directions. Was there more than one person shooting at them? Guns were a rarity in Japan to begin with, even more so among Villains and Heroes, unless that gun augmented or worked with an existing Quirk, such as their teacher Hawkeye and her Super-Accuracy.

"Breathing," Akaya continued, after taking his pulse. A nasty bruise was forming along the side of his head, one she could see even through his glow.

"Then we must move," Iida said. "As soon as we can. I will distract them, while you three get to cover."

The urgency was apparent. Shinso's shield was already weakening. He could not sustain the scream for much longer. He held up a shaky thumbs up to say he agreed.

Akaya scooped up Aoyama. He was a fit boy, but slender and not as muscular as Midoriya or Haimawari, let alone Shoji, and while hers was not a strength Quirk, her size and rocky countenance did make her stronger than many. Despite his glow, his skin was not hot, but soft against her rocky one.

"Go!" Iida shouted. "Now!"

Shinso stopped screaming and the dome dropped instantly. He took off and Akaya followed close behind, while Iida rocketed into the air. Shots rained down around them, one narrowly missing her.

Slinging Aoyama over her shoulder instead and apologizing for the rough treatment, Akaya reached into her seed pouch with her now free hand and dropped seeds behind them, using her Quirk to make them grow rapidly. Trees sprung up like lightning behind her, offering temporary shielding from the gunfire.

She kept her eyes on the road ahead, but she could hear the sounds of gunfire still, hear it bounce off of Iida's armor.

"_I cannot see them!"_ Iida's voice rang in her ears from their communicator headset. _"Shinso, can you pinpoint them?_"

Looking around, Akaya and Shinso came to a stop, sheltering behind a car. Shinso looked around, cautiously, then let out one of his sonar screams, casting it in various directions. When he stopped, he made a confused face. "I keep getting _something_, but it disappears as soon as I make contact. I guess it could be a teleporter, but those kinds of Quirks are, like, _super_ _rare_! I mean, other than that kid who won the obstacle course, and we probably wouldn't be fighting him…"

For a moment, the gunfire went quiet. Worryingly quiet. On her shoulder, Aoyama started to stir. Unconscious, the arrogant boy looked much smaller and vulnerable than usual, as though he puffed himself up like a hissing cat when awake.

She wondered sometimes why she tried so hard to be a friend to him. He was a walking tribute to the sins of pride and envy, and just as often prone to wrath. But there was something behind his eyes, a sadness that touched her deeply. There was a pain he carried with him he did not share, but which fueled his vices and she wished she could ease.

Aoyama groaned. "I… claim this land… for France!" he exclaimed, one arm shooting straight up into the air. "Ugh… what hit me?"

"Some kind of projectile," Akaya told him, helping him get on his feet. "Iida attempted to draw their fire while we escaped."

Aoyama frowned. She should tell his pride was hurt. "_Merci_," he said, simply.

Around them, the world had gone deathly silent, save for a lingering echo of Shinso's screams. Akaya quickly wished that she had chosen a different word to describe it than that. But it was apt. The strike had come out of nowhere and wasn't even from a Quirk. They knew less than nothing about who was attacking them.

Iida's voice again filled their comms. "_The shooting seems to have stopped,_" she said. "_Like it or not, we must continue our mission. I will try to apprise the others of the situation and then join you._"

"She wants us to go on with some maniac with a gun out there?" Aoyama hissed. "Is she crazy?"

"We've… we've got to rescue people," Shinso insisted. "Even if it's dangerous. We're Heroes. We can't let everybody down.

It made sense, however dangerous it was. Real Heroes couldn't just huddle and hide until the danger passed. They had to move on. As they got up to go, something made Akaya stop. There was the slightest of sounds, like a window shade being drawn back. Behind them, rising up from the shadow of a building like a swimmer appearing out of the water was a woman, her features plain and ordinary, especially for this day and age. She wore a black catsuit and carried a dangerous looking rifle.

"Then prepare to disappoint everyo—" the woman began.

"Hey!" Shinso called out, suddenly sounding excited for some reason. "I know you!"


	67. Chapter 61: Final Exam Part 3

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 61: Final Exam Part 3: Short Answer**

Through her connection to Frog-Shadow, Asuka felt the world spin. Whatever it was, it wasn't affecting her directly, but it was affecting Frog-Shadow and Haimawari. It couldn't be the winged Villain—his Quirk was obviously some kind of wind manipulation—which meant there had to be another Villain somewhere that they weren't seeing.

Asuka dove for cover, drawing Frog-Shadow back into her body. Haimawari veered towards the wall, swerving wildly. But rather than try to break, he jetted forward, putting up his hands at the last moment so that he traveled up the wall. He pushed himself off it with another pulse of his power, executing a flip in the air, before making a three point landing. He shot a fist into the air.

"Wooo! Did you see that?! I did it!"

"Pretty fancy, Hero," the winged man sneered. "But it's going to take more than that to take down the Raptor!" His wings spread out behind him, then flicked forward again. The resulting blast of air should have knocked Haimawari of his feet, but despite being buffeted by the winds and flailing against them, he wasn't moved from his spot. Looking closely, she could see a faint glow surrounding his feet and Asuka realized he must have been using his Quirk to adhere to the street.

_Ready, Frog-Shadow_? she thought. If they were going to try again, there wasn't a better time than while Haimawari still had the Villain—Raptor—distracted.

**Ready! I don't know what he did last time, but this time, I'm going to kick his ass! Just you wait and see!**

Asuka rolled her eyes for a moment. Ever since she'd almost lost her during the Internship, she'd been trying not to be as annoyed by Frog-Shadow's antics and bravado. And she'd been letting Frog-Shadow out more often under casual circumstances, incorporating her into what was going on. It had felt… right. Frog-Shadow was a part of her, but was also her own self. And in trying to suppress that, to make Frog-Shadow conform to what she considered to be proper behavior standards, had she not been suppressing part of herself? And more trust in her familiar had resulted in better coordination during training. It was a benefit to them both, especially since Frog-Shadow actually acted up _less_ when she felt she had more of an outlet and voice.

_Then go!_ she commanded.

Frog-Shadow flew from her body towards Raptor, but the moment she got close, the disorienting feeling of dizziness returned, the world spinning as though someone was turning it around and around in every direction. Asuka fell to her knees, while Frog-Shadow flitted about in the sky going every which way. She couldn't see clearly with the world spinning, but it looked like Haimawari was dodging this way and that, occasionally firing a burst of power at Raptor.

This time, the dizziness was overwhelming; she was now clearly a direct target of it, making her feel as though she was going to throw up her breakfast. Even closing her eyes offered only limited relief. Every time she tried to rise, she found she couldn't. The mere thought of moving made her ill.

**Hang on!** came Frog-Shadow's thoughts. Her thoughts were shaky too; being hit with whatever was causing the dizziness directly _and_ feeling it through Frog-Shadow was possibly making it worse than it could have been. **I'm coming! I see him!**

Frog-Shadow zipped unsteadily through the air back to her, briefly entering her body, before shooting out the other side of her again. **Take that, you big meanie!**

A mighty _**thwack**_ filled the air, the sound of Frog-Shadow smacking into something, followed by the sound of someone hitting the ground. The nausea immediately stopped, her head and stomach clearing quickly. When she was able to open her eyes, she saw a hideous figure trying to get to its feet, a humanoid cockroach. She very nearly let out a cry of alarm, but kept her beak clamped shut. Such a reaction was unbecoming of a Hero and considering her own avian appearance, hardly appropriate as a person either.

Frog-Shadow, meanwhile, was still raining punches down on the bug-man, eliciting a groan. "Call it off! Call it off! She's crazy!" the bug-man cried out, multiple arms waving in the air in a show of surrender. But Frog-Shadow pressed her attack and decked the man, who collapsed in a heap on the sidewalk.

It was only now, when she had a moment to think, that Asuka realized she'd lost track of Raptor and Haimawari. And she had no idea what had become of Sero and Ojiro either…

Takiyo's head was killing him, his ears still ringing, so he was fairly certain that he could not possibly have heard Shota Shinso say what he thought he'd heard. Then again, the short boy was rather obsessive in his fanboy tendencies. If anyone could recognize whoever the school had gotten to fight them for their exam, it would be him.

He knew he should not have been so embarrassed. The fact was, their assailant could have just as easily shot any of them. True, Iida's armor might have protected her, but the rest of them had no such protection. But being shot and having to be rescued like some civilian ate away at him all the same. How was he ever going to make a name for himself if he could be taken down so easily?

"You don't know shit, kid!" the woman in the catsuit shouted, waving her rifle about as she tried to refute Shinso's claims. "Shut up!"

Somehow, having a gun pointed at him did not deter Shinso from talking. Takiyo suspected that, were the boy somehow trapped in a soundless void, he would find a way to continue to talk.

"I do too! You're the Shadow Thief! Mom and Dad fought you!"

The woman looked so startled she nearly dropped her gun. "Shit! I knew that purple hair looked familiar!" She recovered her grip on her weapon quickly, but before she could fire a shot, Koda threw seeds which quickly grew into vines. As the vines ensnared her, she and her weapon vanished, melting back into the shadows from whence she came.

The Shadow Thief reappeared immediately, behind Shinso. She struck him with the butt of her rifle, knocking him to the ground. Before Koda could react, the Shadow Thief fired a shot directly into her center mass, knocking her down. She spun to fire again and Takiyo let out a cry of alarm. But when he did, he unleashed a blinding flash of light.

"Argh!" the Shadow Thief cried out, this time dropping her weapon, which fell to the ground with a great clatter. She stumbled backwards, one hand covering her eyes. "Dammit…"

Quickly, he fired a laser beam of light at her weapon, the heat slicing it in half cleanly. He took some smug satisfaction in that. At least he wasn't so hurt that he couldn't still aim. He started charging up another shot in one hand, while projecting blinding beam from the other. This woman had appeared from the shadows and had taken him out first. It stood to reason that dark things like her feared his light.

"The next shot is for you, witch. Stand down."

"Can't… do that," she said, between gritted teeth. She kept slowly trying to edge backwards, out of the range of his light. No doubt looking for more shadows to escape to. "I've got too much at stake... to let some pissant lightbulb like you stop me…" Her hands strayed to her belt and she removed _something_ he couldn't see from a pouch there. She let whatever it was drop and dark, obscuring smoke began to rise, hiding her from him and obscuring even his bright beam.

A scream from behind him, acting as a wedge of force, pushed the smoke aside. But when it did, the Shadow Thief was gone. Takiyo released the energy he was building up and turned, seeing that Shinso and Koda were recovering from her assault. Shinso was rubbing the back of his head and Koda had one arm draped protectively over her chest. She'd taken one of those shots full center of mass. His head ached enough from merely being clipped by one. How much worse were her injuries?

"_Mademoiselle_ Koda, are you all right?" he asked. If that Villain had hurt her…

She held up her free hand. "Sore, but I shall live. Thank providence for my thick hide."

"I'm fine too," Shinso said, though he hadn't asked. He touched the back of his head gingerly. "Oooh, that's gonna be a lump."

Takiyo's mind was still reeling. Had they gotten _actual_ Villains for their exam? Surely not even Aizawa would unleash something that dangerous upon them. It had to be a joke. A trick! Shinso had to be mistaken! And yet, Takiyo realized there was no possible way that Shinso would be mistaken about the identity of a Villain. But then, what did that mean? If there were real Villains, their teachers would be riding to their rescue. And she was only firing nonlethal ammunition…

"What… what _was_ that?" he demanded. "What was she talking about? 'Too much at stake'?" He waved his arms in a gesture of confusion.

"Beats me," Shinso said.

Iida's voice crackled through their head sets. _"No sign of the Villain… Izumi says that Toshi wants us to pull back and regroup as soon as we are able. Check for remaining civilians, I will maintain a lookout. Then we can go."_

Takiyo no longer felt quite so confident in this exam. If there were real Villains about, if this was something other than what it seemed… then what was going on?

"'Too Much at stake'," All Might repeated, turning to look at Aizawa. "Just what did you tell them, Aizawa?"

"Only what was necessary to properly motivate them to give the students a real challenge," Aizawa replied, not looking at All Might. His tone of voice seemed to imply that this should have been obvious. His eyes remained fixed to the various screens in front of them. "A rationale deception designed for the optimum effort from both sides." He declined to elaborate further.

Koharu swallowed nervously. Was the Hero Course really this nuts and unregulated that one of the teacher's had called in _actual_ Villains to fight students during the exam? Why were the Villains going along with it? What was keeping them from just killing everybody? If she booked it out of the control room, maybe she could give Class 1-A some kind of warning?

Vice-Principal Midnight seemed to sense her discomfort. She gave Koharu a kind smile. "It's all right," she said. "Eraser personally vetted each and every Villain for this exam. They're all model prisoners who would have been up for parole in a year or two anyway."

Koharu's antenna popped up and she tried to smooth them down. They always did that when she was nervous. "Is this normal?" She waved her hands in vague circles in the air, unable to properly articulate what "this" was.

That got a laugh out of the Vice-Principal for some reason. "Oh, honey, nothing with Eraser is ever normal. He likes to keep all of us on our toes."

"If you can't handle the unexpected," Aizawa said, not bothering to turn to look again, "you've got no business being in this line of work."

"Understood, sir," Koharu said, unsure if he was talking to her or Midnight.

She returned her attention to the Vice-Principal. "Can I ask about who these Villains are then?"

Midnight smiled again. "Asking questions and gathering intelligence already," she said. "Good job. Shinso already identified Shadow Thief, a very talented cat burglar and practitioner of corporate espionage. As her name implies, she can travel through any shadow to any other."

She pointed to one of the other screens, where the giant woman was pulling herself out of the ground. The group that had been battling her had already moved on, clearing out what civilian-robots remained in their area, all the while keeping one eye behind them in case she came after them again.

"That's Kamuy," Midnight explained. "Guilty of political agitation, destruction of government property, and kidnapping a government official, some of which would have garnered her a slap on the wrist, if she hadn't used her Quirk to do it. Still, it's the last one that really hung over her. She's Ainu and has fought rather violently against encroachments on her people's culture. Her Quirk lets her absorb kinetic and other forms of energy and uses them to fuel her own strength. Sato there almost figured it out… it's an active Quirk, not a passive one."

Another screen showed the bird-headed girl and her frog… thing… restraining a small man who looked like a cockroach. There was no special shared love among insect Quirks, but it did look like the frog-thing had smacked him around more than was probably strictly necessary.

"Nauseous," Midnight said. "Guilty of multiple counts of theft and disruption of public events, whose Quirk allows him to disrupt the workings of people's inner ear. And apparently that of Quirks that act like people too. Not a terrible guy, all things considered. When a robbery he was involved in went south, he stayed with the injured guard rather than make off with the money like his friends."

Koharu winced at the frog thing gave Nauseous one last smack.

"Hmmm," Midnight said. "Looks like he's out of the fight. That's one for our kids, anyway."

Another screen showed the metal sumo wrestler that Midoriya had uppercutted into the stratosphere climbing out of the rubble of a building. It had come down when he'd crashed into it. "Remind me to deduct points from Midoriya for that," Aizawa said. "That kind of carless destruction could cost lives."

"I'll work with him on that," All Might said sheepishly. "I may have regaled him with a few too many stories of one final Smash…"

"Of course you did."

"Jawbreaker," Midnight went on. "Ridiculed for his appearance, he tried to live an honest life, despite the temptations of crime. He ultimately turned to crime and theft in order to pay for his father's medical bills. Anything he eats, he can take on the properties of. The kids haven't seen half of what he can do yet."

Koharu's eyes widened. "You're really letting somebody like that fight them? He looks like he could give Deku a rough fight!"

"It's fine," Midnight assured her again. "Like I said, model prisoner. And besides, we made it _very_ clear what happens if they step outside the boundaries we set for them."

And then there was the winged man, who was leading Haimawari on a chase across the skyline. Haimawari was doing his best to dodge the wind attacks and return fire, while the winged man kept trying to blow him over unsuccessfully.

"And lastly," Midnight finished, "Raptor. The son of Chinese immigrants, who grew up in the Triads. It's a little romantic really, but he turned state's evidence against them when he fell in love and started a family. It got him a reduced sentence and now he's up for parole. His wings let him manipulate wind, not to the extent of, say, Gale Force, though his overall destructive output might be higher."

A rare flying Villain. Koharu gulped. As a flying Hero, it would someday be up to people like her to fight people like him. A sobering thought.

"So, Kocho," Aizawa said, still not taking his eyes off the screens. His voice was deadly serious. "What would _you_ do if you had to fight these Villains?"

No one told her this would be a test!

"Look out!" Takuma shouted, jumping into the air while firing a strand of Acid Tape. He swung and quickly grabbed a pair of child-sized robots with his free arm, getting them out of the way just in time to avoid being squished by falling rubble. That had been entirely too close!

"You two okay?" he asked the robots when he set down again. Both nodded and gave him a thumb's up, the lights on their chests turning green to indicate a successful rescue. "Good. Do you know where you parents are?"

The robots didn't respond, but instead took off towards a taller, vaguely woman-shaped robot, who briefly embraced them before running off. "Artificial intelligence is getting way too real," he said aloud.

He popped the faceplate on his helmet, wiping some of the sweat away from his brow. He and Kimmie had done a good job getting people away from the fight and the winged guy, but that was getting harder and harder now that Haimawari was chasing after him. He spotted the winged guy jetting from one spot to the next, always pushing off something at one point or another in his flight. Maybe he couldn't actually fly? He looked heavy. If his Quirk was really the air thing, maybe the wings were just glide and steer?

And if that was the case, what did he do with that information?

He watched, just for a minute, as Haimawari dodged out of the way of a blast of air, sliding _up_ the side of the building _backwards_, then bringing up a hand to pepper the Villain with pulsing energy bolts. It didn't look like they were doing much damage, but they were definitely knocking the guy around a good bit. He'd give Haimawari credit, he had great control of his Quirk.

"That's the last of the civilians," Kimiko said, running up him. "Everyone's evacuated." She looked up at the on-going fight between Haimwari and the Villain. "Should we do something?"

Takuma winced as Haimawari narrowly dodged a blast of wind that blew out the remaining windows of the building. It shattered the remaining windows in the tall building, showering everything below with glass. Haimawari blasted a few shards away from himself, but was started to slow down in dodging the wind bursts.

He nodded. "Yeah. Climb on my back. Can you make us invisible again?"

Takuma couldn't see her eyes or her expression, but the rest of Kimiko's body language just radiated a "yeah, duh" response of such intensity he was surprised he wasn't on fire from it. Rather than continue with his commentary, he snapped his visor back into place and bent down and allowed Kimiko to climb on his back, wrapping her legs around his chest and her arms around his neck. She was pressed up against him tightly enough that he was glad he was gay or he'd probably have a lot of trouble thinking straight.

'Straight.' Even in the middle of an exam, he was funny. But why was he always at his funniest in his own head?

"Okay!" Kimiko announced. "Time to disappear! Let's go kick that guy's ass!" There was no feeling as she used her Quirk, making both her costume and him invisible, only the colors of the world losing some of their edge, everything going a little bit gray. It was always weird and he swore his peripheral vision was a bit wider with his skull being invisible. And that wasn't even getting into how he shouldn't have been able to see if his eyes were invisible.

Kimiko's Quirk did not bear deep thinking if you wanted to keep your sanity. Was this how she saw everything, all the time?

It also required absolute concentration to use in teamwork. Without his ability to see his body or even his Tape when he fired it (as it was still a part of him until he released it), he had to be absolutely certain of any move he made while invisible. Thank goodness they'd put in plenty of practice.

Takuma fired off a strip of Tape at the side of the building, making it good and sticky, tested that it was secure, then launched himself and Kimiko into the air, reeling himself up to the side of the building. Quickly, he fired another strip of Tape, pulling both of them up to where Haimawari was struggling to maintain his grip on the building against the winged Villain's winds. The winged-Villain had amped up the pressure and intensity of his attacks, leaving their classmate no opportunity to fight back.

Even not being directed at them, he could feel the air currents. Kimiko let out a shriek as they were nearly dislodged. Takuma quickly secured them with another strand.

"This was a bad idea," Kimiko whispered in his ear. He wasn't sure he disagreed. Raptor was moving fast, bouncing from perch to perch, never letting up the pressure on his wind attacks.

"You're persistent, kid, I'll give you that much," Raptor growled, wings flapping hard as he bounced off the side of a building, readying another volley of wind. "But you're just out of your depth."

Haimawari withstood the barrage again, his hands and feet glowing as he poured his Quirk into adhering to the building. But he was starting to slip, Takuma could see that much. It was now or never if they were going to do something.

"Hang on, Kimmie," he whispered. He fired off a strip of Tape again, and swung himself upwards. As he soared up through the air, he fired off another Tape strip, giving his wrist a hard flick. With perfect timing, the Tape itself wrapped around Raptor's legs, pinning them together.

"What the?!" Raptor cried out. He was in motion, gliding through the air before starting his next attack, leaving him no opportunity to try and dislodge the Tape.

Takuma grunted and pulled with all his might. He was definitely going to be feeling the stain tomorrow, but taken by surprise, Raptor slammed into the building, hard. But the Villain pushed off with a grunt, flapping his wings hard and propelling himself with blasts of wind. Takuma was forced to cut the strip of Tape loose, lest his arm be pulled out of the socket. When the strip broke away, it became visible. Raptor tore it loose, flapping his wings hard and reversing direction in mid-air.

His wings flared again as he prepared to fire another blast of air. But their attack had given Haimawari the precious seconds he needed to actually return fire. He sped up the side of the building, then turned and snapped up, his feet still clinging to the building but bother his hands now in firing position. "SLIIIIIIDE-BUSTER!" Haimawari unleashed a powerful looking, pulsating blue-white beam of energy, looking stronger and bigger than the small bolts he usually fired. The beam struck Raptor dead on, blasting him into the ground below. He made a rather satisfying thud when he hit.

Kimiko let the two of them fade back into visibility. Takuma looked up and gave Haimawari a wave. "Niiiice, dude!"

Haimawari gave them a little wave in return. "Figured that had to be you two. Thanks. Wasn't sure what I was going to do there."

"Hey, if you two are done congratulating each other," Kimiko interrupted, "the bad guy's getting away!"

Takuma looked down and saw she was right. The Villain was back on his feet but running away, not taking to the skies. He saw him slip between an alleyway and then lost track of him.

"Ugh, great," Takuma said. He wondered if that was going to cost them points. Beating the Villains was only the number three priority, but… "Should we go after him…?"

"_Are you three all right?"_ Tokoyami's voice over the comms cut off that line of thinking. _"I've," _she stopped suddenly, as though she was arguing with someone he couldn't hear. Probably Frog-Shadow. It was a shame Tokoyami didn't have any interest in fame. A straight man who could supply their own co-host to argue with? That was comedy gold there. _"Pardon, __**we've**__ captured one of the Villains and Gravi-Might wishes for us to regroup."_

Well, that answered that at least.

It didn't take long for everyone to make it back to the civilian defense shelter and gather in front, and Toshi was glad to see that everyone was still standing. Some looked a little worse for wear than others though. Both Sora and Tensei had dents in their armor; there was a massive dent in Tensei's chestplate that was shaped like a fist and Sora's armor looked like someone had been shooting at her (He had to try really hard to separate the boyfriend concern from teammate concern there.). Aoyama and Shota were both nursing head wound and several others like Shoji and Koda looked more than a little beat up.

Ojiro quickly went to work checking over the wounded. They were all versed in basic field first aid now, but with the additional training she was receiving from Aunt Eri and her Quirk, she made the most sense as the team medic. She quickly pronounced that there were no broken bones or internal damage, though she loudly professed that they were all probably going to be sore tomorrow.

Toshi was sympathetic to that. Smacking into the building, even in a state of high gravity, had hurt like hell. He was lucky the rest of his team had been so quick to act. It had kept them from being injure and left the three of them—Izumi, Mineta, and Kaminari—along with Sato and Ojiro, as the only people who weren't hurt or put through the ringer.

"Toshi!' Shota piped up. "Toshi! Toshi! It was Shadow-Thief! We were fighting a _real _Villain! It was the Shadow Thief!"

"That's great, Shota," Toshi said, his attention on the broader group. "Okay, so we've all had some contact with the Villains and it looks like we've beaten them back. And Asuka's got us a prisoner."

He looked back at the unconscious form of the cockroach-like man Asuka had brought back with her, bound with what looked like a street lamp wrapped around him, courtesy of Frog-Shadow. She'd also dumped a garbage can on his head, explaining that the Villain had some kind of Quirk that could cause extreme dizziness. She'd guessed it was based on sight, judging by how she and Haimawari had been affected. Izumi was already working on forming a cube of ice around him, a little miniature prison cell. Maybe if he woke up they could interrogate him for more information. He could play good cop and he was pretty sure Katsumi would jump at the chance to play bad cop.

"And that's Nauseous!" Shota said, pointing excitedly. "Wow!"

…Wait. Toshi stopped mid-thought to stare at Shota, mouth agape.

"Loud Kid," Katsumi snapped, saying what they were all thinking, "why the hell do you know who these guys are?"

"They're real Villains!" Shota explained again. "I mean, I thought both of them were supposed to be in jail, but they're still real Villains!"

At this pronouncement, chaos broke out among the rest of his classmates, except for Koda, Sora, and Aoyama, everyone talking at once and over each other.

"The fuck?!"

"I am certain our teachers would not willingly subject us to danger like that without failsafes…"

"We're gonna die! We're gonna die! Villains have overrun UA! I'm too hot to die! There's so many people I never hit on!"

"You! Have! A! Boyfriend! I'm the one who's going to die alone!"

"**I beat a real Villain! GO ME!"**

"Yes, you did. You can stop bragging now."

"I helped take down a real Villain and I couldn't get it on video?! This is the worst thing that ever happened in the history of ever!

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN _YOU_ HELPED?! WHAT AM I, CHOPPED LIVER?!"

"Really, this is what you two are arguing about now?"

"This is truly improbable, and yet Shinso has a statistical record that makes his identifications very likely…"

"Guys, think for a second. It can't possibly be what it looks like."

"Hey, guys, ah, maybe we should listen to Midoriya…?"

Haimawari's words, at least, seemed to calm the class down for the moment. Everyone quieted down and gave Toshi their attention again. He once again realized how much everyone looked to him in the figurative sense as well. It was a sobering burden. And one that was starting to remind him of something Dad had said once, about how he only tried to do so much (which was, admittedly, a lot), because he didn't want people relying on him like they had on Grandpa Might. It was why he was the Symbol of Hope, not Peace.

He was really going to have to do something about that.

"Okay," he said. They could dissect the implications later, but he trusted in their teachers not to put them in danger. …Okay, he trusted Aizawa not to put them in _too much _danger. "So all that really means is that we're fighting people who are experienced fighting Heroes. But they're probably holding back some. We don't know if they were briefed about us or our Quirks, but I'm betting we have the best source on the planet for figuring out what they've got."

Toshi pointed at Shota. "So we're going to fill Loud Kid in on what we've got and who we fought. Shota, it's time to put your knowledge to the test."

His eyes scanned the cityscape behind the others. "Because make no mistake… this isn't over. First round went to us. But there's at least four Villains still out there. They know we're here, they know where we are. And since this is where their target is…

"They're coming for us."


	68. Chapter 62: Final Exam Part 4

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 62: Final Exam Part 4: Short Essay**

The last blast of her Jetpack brought Sora to the ground, where some of her classmates, including Toshi, were waiting. Ordinarily, she might remove her helmet in order to have a clearer conversation or to wipe the sweat from her brown, but with a potential sniper on the loose, it seemed an undue risk. Instead, she used her tongue to adjust the small straw on the helmet's right cheek and sipped from the juice it offered.

Satisfied with that, she tapped the side of her helmet and activated the communicator. "This is Jet-Red," she announced. "I spotted nothing on my sweep of the western sector and have returned to base camp."

Her brother's voice quickly followed. _"Jet-Blue responding," _he said. _"Eastern sector air sweep is complete. No sign of any additional civilians or the Villains. They appear to have gone to ground."_

"_Slyde here, nothing on the ground sweep of the north sector either," _Haimawari reported. _"Heading back home."_

"_You're listening to Channel Stick 'Em Up," _came Sero's voice. _"Nothing on my aerial view either. Where the hell are they? I didn't expect to be playing Hide the Villain today. Totally unfair! Midoriya, I thought you said they were coming for us!_"

Kirishima-Bakugo's voice cut in. She was up on the roof of the civilian defense shelter with Kaminari, Aoyama, Izumi, and Shinso. Their ranged fighters, who could rain firepower down on any attackers or more easily shoot Raptor out of the air if it came to it. _"Cut the chatter, you damn sorry excuse for a tape dispenser!" _

"_Okay," _Toshi said, his communicator filled with static. She'd done what she could to repair it, but it had gotten very damaged when he'd smacked into the building. Hopefully, her patch job would hold. _"When you guys get back, we'll brainstorm a new plan. With Shadow-Thief, they could be anywhere."_

As he clicked off the communicator, Toshi let out a sigh. "So much for that plan." He was discouraged, she could tell. It had been nearly thirty minutes since they had regrouped and he had dispatched the speedier and more mobile members of the class to look for where the Villains might be coming from and they had nothing to show for it.

So many times, she and her classmates looked to him for direction. They always had. Toshi had always been the one looking out for all of them, even when they were small, making sure everyone was getting along, making sure everyone's needs were met. With the fate of everyone's passing being tied to this exam, it was little wonder he seemed to be feeling that even more strongly.

"When one hypothesis fails," she said, "you must select another." Slightly cautiously, she put her hands on his shoulders. He didn't flinch away from the contact, which was good. Since they had last talked about it, he had been getting better about not being as anxious when they touched. "We believe in you, Toshi. And we will figure this out."

Toshi nodded. "Okay, yeah, you're right. Thanks, Sora."

"Of course," she said. "One of the requirements of being your girlfriend is supporting you in your endeavors." She'd been reading excessively on "how to be a good girlfriend" on the internet. Much of the advice was contradictory and confusing, but she was attempting to sort through it all. If need be, there were more experienced sources of advice within the class as well. Mineta had already offered significant amounts of unsolicited "advice."

"Also, I am as invested in our success as a class as anyone."

From above, she could hear Shinso's sonar scream, sent out at regular intervals per Toshi's directions, sweeping in a wide arc from west to east. The noise would probably let any Villains know they were being watched, but it was better than being caught completely unawares.

"_I think I saw something this time!" _ Shinso reported. _"Just a blip though. Like when Shadow-Thief was doing her shadow thing! Big group though… I think she's moving all of them!"_

"It looks like your hypothesis was correct after all," Sora told Toshi. "Your time scale was merely inaccurate."

Time scale… time scale… That had to be important…

Oh no.

Sora looked up and tracked the position of the sun in the sky, relative to where it had been early. Her eyes darted to the buildings across the street, where long shadows were starting to draw. Of course. The Villains had waited until they had opportunity to use the shadows to their advantage.

"Aoyama!" she shouted. "We need as much light as you can muster! Across the street! Now!"

But it was too late. The shadows across the street rippled as four figures began to rise out of it. The same Villains Shinso had identified before. Jawbreaker. Raptor. Kamuy. Shadow-Thief.

There was no time. The Villains were here.

"Okay, everybody!" Toshi called out. "Just like we planned it! Let's take these guys down!"

Shinso, Todoroki, Aoyama, Kaminari, and Kirishima-Bakugo were still on the roof, ready to rain their firepower down from above. Tensei Iida, Sero, and Haimawari were still out in the field, heading back to the basecamp. On the ground, that left Midoriya, Sora Iida, Koda, Sato, Ojiro, Mineta, Tokoyami, and Daisuke. He'd been tense, waiting for the moment when the Villains appeared. He was strong, he knew. He was no Deku, of course, but still powerfully built. In training, he was used to being able to take care of most simulated opponents with just a few blows.

Strength was hardly everything. It was why he trained his reflexes and his senses to their utmost and why he tried to maximize the range and mobility his Extendo-Arms offered him. He doubted that he would ever be a particularly highly ranked Hero, he shied away from the spotlight too much for that without factoring in anything else, but he was determined to be an effective one.

But for the first time, when fighting Kamuy, his strength had been useless. Worse than useless, it had been turned against him. She'd thrown all the strength of his punches right back at him. Not a feeling he relished, nor one he hoped to experience again.

There was barely a moment between the Villains appearing, Midoriya's command, and the move by both sides to attack. A barrage of ranged attacks flew forth first: focused laser beams from Aoyama, explosive-infused disks from Kirishima-Bakugo, electrical blasts from Kaminari, waves of sonic-force from Shinso, and gouts of flame from Todoroki. They had the desired effect and the Villains scattered, with Raptor taking to the air on a giant gust of wind, Kamuy going right, and Jawbreaker going left. Shadow-Thief vanished back into the shadows… something that probably wasn't going to be good.

He saw Sora Iida jetting into the air to fight Raptor, with Tokoyami dispatching Frog-Shadow to fight alongside her. He saw Mineta firing those sticky balls from her horns, trying to tag Kamuy. And before him, he saw Jawbreaker.

The Villain was more massive than Midoriya had described him, now made of both stone and metal, blending unevenly across his form. Daisuke glanced briefly to his right and saw Midoriya, then nodded.

Daisuke was too tall to go low, but he darted this way and that, dodging out of the way of Jawbreaker's fists. Even weighed down with the extra mass, the big Villain was fast. He swung his second set of arms high and his third set of arms low and extended them out as fast as he could, smacking the Villain with a series of rapid-fire blows. Again and again, like pistons, he fired his four fists out, smacking hard against metal and rock.

"Argh!" He let out a cry of pain as his fists bounced uselessly against the Villain's hide, not even denting the metal or cracking the rock.

"Was that supposed to hurt?" Jawbreaker taunted. He launched a powerful blow, but Daisuke got all three of his right side-arms in place to block it. That blow hurt too, but not as bad as it would have if he'd taken it full on. He held his ground at least.

"Would have been nice if it had," Daisuke said. "But I'm just the distraction."

The first follow up came from Koda, who tossed seeds as Jawbreaker's feet, then employed her Quirk upon them. The plants—something Daisuke did not recognize—grew quickly, great bulbous pod-thing that just as quickly _exploded_, showering Jawbreaker with hard seeds like miniature bullets. The Villain was thrown off balance for a moment, trying to shield his eyes. So Midoriya had been right… those were one of his weak spots.

Midoriya's gravity enhanced fist smashed into the side of Jawbreaker's head, sending him flying. Daisuke would be lying if he said he didn't envy the gravity-backed powers Midoriya could put behind his blows. They made his best triple-haymaker look like a love tap. Jawbreaker skipped like a stone across the street for a moment, before digging in his fingers to stop himself. When he was stable, he jaw opened wide and he took a huge bite out of the street, his scoop like jaw shoveling in cement. As he did, he got bigger still, patches of cement spreading across his body.

Midoriya gave him a concerned look. "You up for hitting him some more? We've got to get him closer to our ranged attackers."

Daisuke shrugged. He was definitely going to have sore knuckles after this. "Might as well…"

Mika let out a whoop as her sticky balls successfully pinned Kamuy's feet to the ground. "In your face, giant lady!" she taunted, making a face. The massive woman was struggling to free her feet, shooting daggers in her direction.

"Ah, maybe don't taunt the giant woman, Mineta?" Sato suggested.

"Definitely not a good idea," Ojiro agreed.

There was a non-zero chance they were right. At the end of the day, her balls were very sticky, but they weren't the universal sealant. On the other hand, seeing the woman fume was so much fun!

"When I get out of here," Kamuy growled. Mika could swear she saw a faint glow about the woman and could hear the skin of her balls beginning to tear. "I am going to send you to the glue-factory, horse girl!"

"Oh, whatever," she said, waving a hand dismissively. Keep 'em mad, keep 'em distracted, then lower the boom. Her go-to strategy. "And I keep telling people, I'm a cow, now a horse!"

She pointed to Kamuy, turning her head to their snipers. "Todoroki! How about you show her how to chill?"

Above, Todoroki pointed and ice began to form around Kamuy. Mika wasn't exactly sure on what her range was, but whatever it was, it was good. Being able to draw in heat and form ice just by pointing was a damn useful talent.

"Dammit," Kamuy said, sounding a bit regretful. "Didn't want to do this this early… Going to make you regret it, kid." She seemed to shimmer for a second, then slammed a fist into the ground. The resultant shockwave rippled outward, blowing Mika, Ojiro, and Sato off their feet, and shattering both her balls and Todoroki's ice.

When Mika's head stopped spinning, she could see Kamuy approaching her. She looked noticeably smaller, though still just as tall and still built like a truck. Noticeably less bulky all the same. She'd probably had to expend a lot of power to do that shockwave then.

Shinso had been surprisingly light on the details of Kamuy's Quirk. She'd apparently only had a handful of public conflicts with Heroes before being imprisoned. But if they could get her to keep expending energy, maybe she'd run out?

She tried to prop herself up, but Kamuy was faster. The giant woman lifted her by her neck, squeezing just enough to hurt, but not so bad that she couldn't breathe. Obviously, these guys weren't allowed to kill them. No matter how much Aizawa had threatened to kick all their asses over the course of the term.

"No smartass remarks now, huh?" Kamuy asked, holding her at eye level. "You got me a little mad, but when I get mad, things get broken." She raised Mika up a little higher, ready to give her a toss. "This is your last roundup, Hero."

If she wasn't about to get slammed into the pavement, Mika would really have appreciated the taunt. As far as those went, it was a good one. She kicked, ineffectively, slamming her hooves into Kamuy's stomach. Of course, with Kamuy's Quirk, it wasn't doing much.

"You know," Mika grunted, "you're forgetting something…"

"Am I?" Kamuy's lips pulled back in a sneer. "What's that?"

"This close, I don't gotta aim my balls. What goes up… comes down!"

She fired off a ball from her left horn and jerked her own head back. It didn't go far, but it did distract Kamuy enough to look up. The ball smacked her right in the face. It wasn't a big one, barely the size of a softball, but it did cover one eye and hit her with a pretty solid _plop_! The shock made her release Mika, who fell to the ground on her butt in an undignified heap.

Which was when Ojiro struck. Or at least, that's what Mika assumed happened. _Something_ struck Kamuy's legs anyway, causing her to topple over backwards into a hole that definitely wasn't there before.

"…What?" Mika asked out loud, a little bewildered. "What just happened?"

"Sorry," Sato said, suddenly at her side and offering her a hand up. She noticed he had some dirt on his face around his lips. The hole had to be his doing then. Beside him, Ojiro came back into view. "Didn't mean for that to take so long."

"Had to wait for a moment where we could actually do something," Ojiro said. "Even if she didn't see me, not much I could do unless she was off-balance."

Mika shrugged. "Nah, you guys did good."

Unfortunately, all it had bought them was a brief respite. Kamuy _jumped_ out of the hole, landing with a solid thump.

She cracked her knuckles noisily. "You little Heroes used up your shot. Now it's my turn."

In the time between Tensei's communication with the others and his arrival back at the civilian defense shelter, the scene had become a warzone. Below, he could see Shoji, Koda, and Toshi fighting with Jawbreaker, with even Toshi's gravity-backed ricochet blows having little effect on the massive Villain and Koda's fast-grown vines doing little to restrain him. Haimawari arrived on the ground moments later, peppering Jawbreaker with his blasts, but he succeeded in only distracting him long enough to buy the others a moment.

Also on the ground, Mineta, Sato, and Ojiro were dodging out of the way of Kamuy, mostly looking like they were trying to avoid giving her any additional power. Based upon his observation, she had decreased in overall mass by at least fifteen percent since his previous encounter with her. Tensei winced as Sato narrowly avoided another of the woman's blows, but let out a sigh of relief as Takuma finally arrived on the scene, temporarily restraining Kamuy with his tape.

And in the air… Raptor was putting up a valiant fight against his sister and Tokoyami's Frog-Shadow. According to both Shinso and Takuma, the winged Villain could not actually "fly" like winged Heroes like Hawks or Kestrel, instead relying on his ability to generate powerful winds to keep himself aloft. It required a continuous expenditure and forced him to keep himself in motion, much like his and his sister's Jetpack Quirks.

But Raptor's wind blasts were enough to keep both of his attackers from reaching him. Tensei poured on his speed as he watched his sister fire the capture rope built into her gauntlet, but it too was buffeted by the winds and fell back harmlessly.

Fortunately, Raptor did not see him. With one final burst of speed, he came up on the Villain and swung out a fist for a high speed punch. It connected with a solid _clang_ of armored fist on flesh, sending Raptor tumbling out of the air.

"Good to see you are safe, Little Brother!" Sora said, as they both jetted after the Villain, who was flapping his wings and calling up a gale to right himself.

"As I must remind you, I am a statistically insignificant amount of time younger than you!" he snapped back. "That appellation is highly inappropriate!"

"**Hey, argue later!" **Frog-Shadow shouted after them, being recalled by Tokoyami. **"Sheesh, when I'm being the sensible one…"**

A sharp blade of wind split the air between them, forcing both Tensei and his sister into evasive maneuvers. The familiar was right. It was hardly the time for arguments. Instead, it was time for…

Tensei turned his head slightly to look at his sister, who, seeming to have sensed his intent, was now looking at him. "Double Rocket Attack?" he asked.

"Double Rocket Attack!" Sora confirmed, confidently.

Both adjusted their flight paths so they were facing each other, then linked hands and fired an extra boost of speed through their Jetpacks. It sent them spinning through the air and both stretched their legs out as far as they would go. Spinning around and around, Tensei's legs smacked hard into Raptor, followed immediately by Sora's, again and again.

"**And make way for me!" **Frog-Shadow shouted. Tensei and Sora backed off as, at what appeared to be Tokoyami's direction, Frog-Shadow-swooped in and rushed Raptor, slamming into his mid-section, her arms and hands extending to grab his wings. Pinned, he seemed helpless as he slammed into the ground not far from Tokoyami.

Tensei touched down, Sora right behind him. "Is he subdued?" he asked.

"I am afraid not," Tokoyami replied. "He is… struggling still."

She was right. Frog-Shadow was strong, of course, but Raptor seemed to be a rather powerful Villain as well. And while she had pinned his wings enough to prevent them from use in flight, she could not grasp every feather… The tips of his wings snapped forward, hitting Frog-Shadow with focused and sharp blades of wind. The familiar let out a cry of alarm and pain one echoed by Tokoyami, and snapped back, allowing him to rise again. Raptor got back on his feet in an instant, wings spreading out behind him for another attack. They snapped forward, shooting out another blade of air. But it sailed over their heads.

"Ha!" Sora taunted. "You missed, Villain!"

Raptor simply sneered. "Did I?"

Tensei turned to look behind them, just in time to watch the wave of pressurized air slam into the roof of the civilian defense shelter, sending their classmates tumbling over the edge!

Koharu let out a sharp gasp as the members of Class 1-A who were on the roof were sent tumbling over the edge by the wind blast from Raptor. The girl with the white and red hair—Todoroki, she remembered now—reacted quickly though, forming an ice slide that brought them down to the ground, chillily and probably uncomfortably, but all in one piece. The explosive girl, Kirishima-Bakugo, checked on Todoroki to make sure she was okay in a show of tenderness that Koharu wouldn't have expected of her, but Todoroki pointed towards the fight. With that, the students who had been on the roof joined the fight proper.

"I'm still waiting on that answer, Kocho," Aizawa said. "What would _you_ do against these Villains?"

"Give the girl a break, Aizawa," All Might said. "She wasn't expecting to get quizzed like that."

"Heroes have to think on their feet," Aizawa said. "If she can't do that, she's got no business joining my class."

"She's in the room, you two," Vice-Principal Midnight reminded them.

"It's, it's okay," Koharu said. "It's a fair question." On the screens, she watched as Kirishima-Bakugo hit Jawbreaker with a series of explosive-backed punches, giving Midoriya, Haimawari, Koda, and Shoji a brief respite. Even as he swatted her away, Shinso hit the Villain with a sonic blast of force.

"That the best you can do, kid?" Jawbreaker taunted, looming large over the small boy, who suddenly seemed even smaller in the moment. "You giving me the kid's gloves treatment? Going to hold back?"

There was a stillness in the room, a baited breath that told her this was a very important moment, even if she didn't understand the context.

"Not… even… CLOSE!" Shinso made the word itself into a scream, hitting Jawbreaker with a _much_ more powerful blast that knocked the Villain across the street.

"I _knew_ he still had it in him!" Aizawa said, very nearly rising from his seat. Was he… _proud_? What was the story there? All Might and Midnight were much less restrained, letting out louder cheers.

"Ahem," Aizawa said, attempting to regain his composure. "Back to the question."

"Er, yes, sir," Koharu said. "Jawbreaker… He's got to see, right? So I'd probably try to blind him with my String Shot. I'm not strong enough to hurt him and he doesn't look like he breathes when he's turned into stuff, so I couldn't use any of my scale powders, like my paralysis agent or my poison, so… I might be able to restrain him with my String Shot or at least keep him busy until somebody with a different Quirk comes along."

Aizawa did not give her any indication as to whether or not that was the correct answer.

On the screens, the fights went on. Sero and Mineta combined their sticky Quirks to restrain Kamuy, setting up Kaminari and Todoroki to join the fight. Todoroki flicked a hand, sending out a wave of ice that covered her legs and temporarily immobilizing her, while Kaminari unleashed an electrical blast from her gauntlets. Kamuy jerked under the attack for a moment, but then began to laugh.

"Oh, yeah!" she cackled. "That's the stuff!" She was growing larger and more muscular, breaking out of the ice easily.

"Oh, no fair!" Mineta shouted, dodging out of the way of Kamuy's blows. "She can absorb energy too?! I know Shinso didn't say that!"

"In his defense," Aizawa said, seeming to come to the boy's defense, "it didn't come up much. All of her recorded battles were with Heroes with more physical Quirks."

Koharu winced at Kamuy tagged Mineta with a heavy punch. The horned girl went flying, went down, and did not get up. Sero wrapped a strip of tape around her arm, but she flicked her arm and pulled _him_ to _her_ instead, smashing her other fist into his face with enough force to crack his helmet and drop him instantly.

"Um," she said, feeling slightly bad watching 1-A get beat up like that. "Kamuy absorbs physical attacks. So I wouldn't want to engage directly. But my scales would probably work. Keep her distracted, keep her fighting and breathing hard, and I could paralyze her or put her to sleep."

Unfortunately, that wasn't an option for the students fighting her. Powerful blows quickly took down Sato, the poor guy not getting a chance to do much now that she was powered up and enraged. Probably revenge for dropping the telephone pole on her. Kamuy turned her attention back to Kaminari and Todoroki, with Kaminari putting herself in front of the girl with the two-tone hair. Koharu watched as she plugged her Extension Cords into other parts of her uniform, opening panels that revealed lights and speakers. The resulting sound and light barrage stunned Kamuy for a moment, giving the girls a moment to retreat. In the resultant confusion, Koharu realized she'd lost track of Ojiro…

On another screen, the Heroes fighting Raptor were doing a little better than the rest. The glowing boy, Aoyama, had joined the Iida twins and Tokoyami, adding blasts of blinding light to the fight. With Raptor disoriented, the twins both jetted around him, firing some kind of capture line from their gauntlets, circling him several times to pin his wings. Tokoyami sent forth her frog thing again, and this time it let Raptor have it with a one-two punch that sent his head spinning, knocking the winged man down and out.

"And him," Koharu said, "I'd probably end up fighting in the air, which isn't great, even if I can actually fly and he's just blasting himself around. Because those winds could send anything I send at him back or somewhere else. I'm immune to my own scales, but other people wouldn't be. Too risky. He's tough… but I might have to risk trying to out-fly-fight him. He doesn't look like he's meant for fighting someone who can stay up in the air with him."

"Good answers!" All Might told her. The compliment made her smile. He regarded the screens proudly. "Two out of five down. Think they can pull it off?"

Kimiko was about to do something _incredibly_ stupid. But Mineta and Kenta were down and nothing Todoroki or Kaminari were throwing at Kamuy was doing anything to slow her down for more than a moment. Plus, there was the whole absorbing energy thing to deal with, which nullified Kaminari's best attacks.

She'd gone invisible as soon as the woman had started swinging. It had kept her safe, but it wasn't doing anybody else any good. She wasn't even able to save Kenta. Kimiko considered herself pretty good in a fight and she was a master of hitting things (as Kenta and Takuma could tell you), but against Kamuy…

Todoroki unleashed a blast of flame and _that_ was what finally made Kamuy falter, dodging out of the way of the flames. Fire wasn't really energy like Kaminari's electricity was, so maybe she couldn't absorb that? Over her shoulder, she could see the group that had been fighting Raptor rushing to join the last two ongoing fights. The Twins were jetting off to help Midoriya's group, while Aoyama and Tokoyami were heading in Kamuy's direction.

Either way, she had an opening. It was time to do something stupid. Keeping herself invisible and silent, she took a running jump and landed on Kamuy's back.

"What the hell?" Kamuy shouted, trying to reach back to dislodge her. But as muscular as she was, she didn't have the flexibility to dislodge her, especially since she couldn't see her. Her legs wrapped around Kamuy's middle, Kimiko reached up and put her hands on Kamuy's face and extended her Quirk. Normally, when she extended her Quirk over someone else, if she did it right, she could allow them to continue to see, even though light was no longer reaching their eyes. Some kind of layering thing, Doctor Izumi had said, where she wasn't stopping all of it, just some of it.

But if she pushed it just right…

She couldn't see it, but she could only imagine the horror show that was Kamuy's eyes disappearing from her face. "I can't see!" Kamuy screamed, thrashing this way and that to try shake Kimiko off, but she'd learned more than a few things from her dad about clinging like a monkey. "Gonna kill you, brat…!"

"Hit her now, guys!" Kimiko yelled. "Hit her now!"

"But, I can't…" Kaminari started.

"It would not be safe…" Todoroki added.

Right. Dammit. Kaminari's electricity and Todoroki's fire would probably hurt her too. Her best idea yet in this fight and she hadn't thought it all the way through!

"Then leave it to _moi_!" Aoyama called out. She could hear a faint sound, growing louder, a high pitched whine as he powered up his light to intense levels. "_Blinding Dazzle Beam!"_ Focused on Kamuy, Kimiko couldn't see him from her perch, but she could hear the sound of a powerful laser firing.

Tokokyami's voice joined in. "_Verdant Cross-Slash!"_

"**Here I go!"**

Kimiko jumped off just in time to see the combination of Aoyama's laser and Tokoyami's Frog-Shadow strike Kamuy, taking the big woman completely off guard and knocking her down.

"All right!" Kaminari shouted, doing what Kimiko hoped was supposed to be a victory dance. "Go team! Take that, scary giant lady!"

"Um, Chihiro…" Todoroki began, looking behind Kaminari.

"Not now, Izumi, I'm doing my victory dance!"

"I really think you should listen," Tokoyami said.

"And look behind you," Aoyama added.

"And please stop dancing," Kimiko said. "It's just embarrassing. And _really_ not the time…!"

"Okay, I don't know what I'm expecting to see, but I'm going to turn around and… _aw, dammit_!"

Kamuy was getting right back up. She was steaming and shrinking a little, maybe using some of what she'd absorbed to keep herself going… but she was far from down. The giant woman clapped her hands together faster than the eye could follow, unleashing a massive shockwave.

Kimiko only had time to scream before everything went dark.


	69. Chapter 63: Final Exam Part 5

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 63: Final Exam part 5: Final Essay**

At the last moment, before Kamuy had launched her shockwave, some instinct had prompted Izumi to throw up an ice shield. Desperately, faster than she ever had before, she'd leached heat from the air, forming a protective wall in front of her, reinforcing it even against the shockwave that had followed. She regretted immediately that she was unable to extend her protections to Chihiro or to any of her other classmates. She'd only had enough time to save herself, and the knowledge shamed her.

When the ringing in her head cleared and she was able to see again, a moment of fear touched her heart, an icy stab into the heat she had absorbed and that suffused her body. Chihiro, Ojiro, Aoyama, and Asuka were all on the ground, alive, but very clearly knocked out. As skilled and powerful as her classmates were, against such overwhelming force, they had possessed no defense. She had hoped that Asuka's Frog-Shadow might have been able to protect her, armoring her as she had during the Sports Festival, but such, it seemed, was not to be.

And all Izumi had done was protect herself. Her teachers, as well as Katsumi, would say that insuring her own safety had meant she could continue to act and protect others. But it did nothing to ease the guilt she felt.

Kamuy, it seemed, was still standing, admiring her handiwork. She'd lost a bit of mass from expelling her accumulated energy, but still remained a large and imposing foe. That she seemed to be able to hold onto the energy she absorbed until she needed it was enviable. The bands of Izumi's regulator rig were screaming an angry red, a sign she needed expel heat and expel it quickly. She'd had to continually reinforce the ice she'd generated to survive the shockwave and that had meant taken on far more heat than she'd had preferred to do at once. She needed a target upon which to unleash it.

"Still standing?" Kamuy taunted. "Pretty impressive. I wouldn't think a little twig like you would last this long."

It was, with some amount of satisfaction, Izumi realized that Kamuy was a very big target indeed.

"But a twig, properly propelled," she said, bringing her hands up, "can pierce even the mighty oak."

Izumi reached inside herself and found the heat she had been storing, like a crimson hot core inside her. But instead of changing it into fire, she put to use the training that Uncle Denki had helped her with, expelling the heat directly. The very air in front of her turned wavy and shimmery, refracting from all the heat she was putting out into it.

"Hey…" growled Kamuy, "what're you doing…?" Already the big woman was sweating so hard it was pouring off of her and soaking through her clothes. Her breaths coming in ragged gasps, each one clearly a struggle. She swayed, unsteady on her feet, as though a stiff breeze might soon blow her over.

"Whatever you're doing… cut it… out…" Kamuy took a few ineffective swings as thin air, as though that might stop the heat assault. But as addled as she was, they were clumsy, weak, and ineffective, with no power behind them. Izumi knew she was threading a careful line. Too much heat could kill a person easily and she had no desire to be a murderer, especially given that this was only an exam. But nor did she wish to give Kamuy a chance to recover and possibly hurt her or her friends.

Kamuy began glowing and steaming again, losing mass as she poured her energy into resisting Izumi's attack. Step by step, she pushed her way forward, even as the concrete beneath her feet began to soften from the heat she was enduring. That was unfortunate. Processing this much heat as once, pushing her Quirk as far as it would go, Izumi could feel the strain upon herself and she did not know how long she could maintain this level of exertion. Her knees were starting to feel weak and even keeping her arms up to keep pointing at Kamuy was beginning to become a strain. Her arms traced small circles in the air as she failed to hold them straight.

And still, Kamuy came closer. The Villain took step after step after step, her face twisted in a grimace as she fought for every inch. But Izumi would make her fight for that, even if it cost her dearly, even if she collapsed. Because every second this woman spent fighting her was one that gave her classmates and friends time to overcome the other Villains.

They were counting on her. Everyone was counting on her. She could not, would not, be the reason that they failed!

And still Kamuy came onward, trailing steam like some ancient and slow moving train. "You… gotta… be… just… about… out… kid," she hissed. "Those damn… blinky lights… are a dead… giveaway."

With dawning dread, Izumi realized she was right! She was just about out of heat to throw at Kamuy, the crimson hot core she'd been drawing on depleted, the bands of her regulator rig showing a green that would have, in any other circumstances, been reassuring.

Now, it was a little terrifying.

The wave of heat stopped abruptly, as she exhausted her last reserve. The change in the air was immediate and Kamuy instantly stood a little taller, a little stronger, though it was clear surviving the assault had cost her dearly. Her own reserves must have been nearly as depleted as Izumi's were. Though that still left her a large and muscular foe. She could still physically overpower Izumi easily. She was a fit girl, especially for one with her chronic health issues, but there was no comparison.

So she had to end this now.

Kamuy rushed her, fist drawn back to strike, and Izumi acted on instinct, her body and Quirk moving before she even had a chance to think. Thick ice shot up around Kamuy, covering her body and lifting her off the ground in an instant. The temperature around her had dropped by several degrees, enough that, for a moment, Izumi could see her breath on the air.

But when it was done, Kamuy was entombed in a pillar of ice, only her head and fingertips poking out. She hadn't frozen her solid, so there was probably minimal risk of cell death. But she had beaten her. She had won.

And still she remained standing. Izumi had pushed her Quirk and pushed it hard. But she had not given in to her weakness, had not fallen.

But she could not celebrate her accomplishments, not now. Not when the others were still battling.

She would wait to celebrate until they won, but the personal victory would lend her strength to continue the fight.

Things, Katsumi thought, had pretty much gone to shit. The Villain called Jawbreaker had grown to monstrous size and mass, towering over all of them by more than a meter. More than that in her case; height was not her friend. Now made of metal, rock, wood, and concrete, he was shrugging off everything they could throw at him. She still ached from where he had hit her, with a fist that was nearly as big as she was tall.

But she'd be damned if she was going to go down without a fight, even if she was completely out of ammo for her disk-launchers. She hadn't backed down in the face of a damned Nomu, she wasn't about to back down in the face of some Villain Aiazwa had gotten from somewhere to play rent-a-goon. Some part of her was afraid though. Not for herself, but for Izzy. She knew she shouldn't be, knew that Izzy had more than proven she was capable of taking care of herself, but the thought still remained. She pushed it down, channeling it into something she could use. The sooner she clobbered this guy, the sooner she could check on her.

Jawbreaker let out a laugh, his punch connecting solidly with Toshi. Toshi had amped up his gravity enough that he was starting to sink into the ground, but the blow was still enough to push him back, gouging deep troughs in the street. A second blow hit even harder, sending Toshi smashing into the side of a building again. Above Jawbreaker, the Iida twins swooped down again and again, ineffectively striking against him. The Villain—though faster than he looked—was still not fast enough to catch them. Both broke off the attack. Sora to check on Toshi, Tensei to get space to think through his next move.

"Okay, you two," she told Shinso and Haimawari. "I'll knock him off his feet, you knock him down. You'll know it when you see it. Jetset! Give me a distraction!"

Haimawari nodded. "Got it. Bring the boom."

Shinso nodded rapidly, head bobbing like it was on a spring. "Got it!" he said. "Going to have to hit him *really* hard though! He's tough!"

A grin spread across Katsumi's face. "Ain't nothing tougher than me." She cracked her knuckles. "And Newb? Only _I_ get to bring the boom."

"Arms! Rocky!" she shouted. "Clear the way! Big boom coming through!"

At her shout, Shoji and Koda backed off from their assaults on Jawbreaker. Koda had fast-grown a thick redwood tree and Shoji had used his incredible strength to turn it into an improvised club. It hadn't done any good. Jawbreaker had ever taken a big bite out of it, added hard wood to his make-up as well.

Tensei Iida swooped down from the sky, smashing both fists into the back of Jawbreaker's skull. There was a metal on metal _clang_, but Jawbreaker wasn't hurt in the slightest. He swung wildly at Iida again, and this time he Iida was just a little too slow. Jawbreaker's fingers closed around his legs and he slammed Iida into the ground again and again. With a grunt, he tossed the boy over his shoulder. _There_. She hadn't meant for that to happen… but that was her opening.

Katsumi slapped a palm on the ground, extending her explosive power _through_ it, triggering a series of increasingly large explosions in a rapid-fire, firecracker line that lead straight to Jawbreaker. She concentrated, putting as much power as she could into the last one.

_**KABOOM!**_

For just a moment, the explosion caught Jawbreaker off-balance, sending him teetering on his feet. "What the hell…?!" the Villain cried out, arms swinging wildly.

"Now!" Katsumi bellowed.

For all the times they've bugged the hell out of her, Shinso and Haimawari are good at following orders. And more importantly, they can hit hard. Shinso sucked in a breath and unleashed another blast of sonic force, her own proximity to it making Katsumi wince from the noise, while Haimawari braced himself and unleashed another blue-white blast. Both attacks struck Jawbreaker dead on, with enough force to land him smack on his back. It made a sound somewhere between a building collapsing, an avalanche, and a trash can rolling down the stairs.

"Rocky!" Katsumi shouted again. "Tie him up!"

"I am on it, Bombshell," Koda said, tossing more seeds. They began growing instantly, ensnaring Jawbreaker with thick, thorny vines, weaving all around his body and limbs.

Jawbreaker was already struggling against them, even as Koda tried to keep the pace, growing them as vast as they were destroyed. Dammit. Koda's vines alone weren't going to be enough. Time for what was usually her Plan A: Overwhelming Force. "We hit him," she said. "Hard. Now. Everything we've got."

It was already too late. Jawbreaker let out a laugh. "It takes more than that to keep me down," he taunted. He was already getting back on his feet. Vines snapped like twine. "We're in the home stretch too. That means the kid gloves come off!"

He lashed out and, despite having seen it several times over, she still couldn't believe how someone that big could move that fast. Koda and Shoji, the closest, paid the price for her few seconds of hesitation. Shoji threw himself in front of Koda, using all six of his arms to block Jawbreaker's strike, but Jawbreaker brought his other arm around and slammed it into Shoji from the side. He went flying and when he landed, he did not get up.

Koda lasted only a moment longer, quickly reaching into her pouches for more seeds. She fast-grew a circle of trees around Jawbreaker, briefly trapping him, until he simply punched his way through and took her down with another swipe of his massive, multi-element fists.

It had all happened so fast, she hadn't even had time to move. But now, she was spurred into action. "Get that fucker!" she shouted, rushing forward.

Behind her, she could hear the sounds of Shinso and Haimawari firing again, their blasts sailing past her to strike Jawbreaker. She had to trust that they were going to do their jobs, because the bad guy in front of her was all that she could see.

Fortunately, Koda's failed attempts at containment had provided her with plenty of ammunition. She quickly grabbed shards of the felled trees and tossed them at Jawbreaker, peppering him with small explosions. Even putting everything she had into them… it wasn't enough. Nothing left to make a big enough boom with.

"Hey, ugly!" she shouted, grabbing a handful of splintery pieces of wood in each hand. When he turned to look at her she tossed them all at his face, letting them explode like little firecrackers.

Here, he actually screamed, one hand going to cover his face, the other swinging wildly and easy to dodge. As his hand swung by, she slapped it with her own. The material of her gloves now let her channel her explosive power through them directly, adding explosive power to her blows, and the explosion she created charred his transformed flesh.

"Yeah!" Shinso cried out. "We've got him now!" He hit Jawbreaker with another sonic scream.

""Blast now, brag later, Shinso!" Haimawari called out. He was zipping around Jawbreaker's other side, his feet and one hand on the ground, his other hand in the air and unleashing a barrage of low-powered blasts. They weren't strong enough to do much—if any—damage, but they served as yet another distraction.

"Katsumi!" a voice—Toshi's—cried out. "Give me an opening!"

She grinned again, slapping both hands on the ground again and setting off a powerful explosion. This close to it, the explosion left even her ears ringing, but it did the job, further throwing Jawbreaker off balance on top of already having been temporarily blinded.

She heard the roar of Sora Iida's Jetpack engines before she saw the two of them, zooming towards Jawbreaker and Sora carrying Toshi by the wrists. At the last second, she released him and judging by how big of a _clang_ the impact of Toshi's body made with Jawbreaker's, he must have gone about as far up on his gravity as he could. He pushed off the Villain's body and landed next to her. The blow managed to stagger the giant for a moment, at least.

"About time you stopped loafing around," Katsumi said.

"Give me a break," Toshi replied. "I've been hit a lot today."

Jawbreaker reared up and was ready to strike again. Some guys just took a lot of hitting, it seemed.

Before Jawbreaker could strike again, a blast of fire hit him square on, setting aflame the parts of his body that were made of wood. He let out a cry of alarm and smarted smacking at the burns, trying to smother them. Thick ice walls followed, briefly blocking him off. Toshi risked turning his head to find the source of the blast and was greeted with the sight of Izumi propelling herself along an ice slide to meet them.

"Glad you could join us, Iz," Katsumi said, and he had never heard her sound more grateful before.

"Well, someone clearly has to keep you out of trouble," Izumi replied. "As always."

"Was that a joke? Your sense of humor really needs work, Iz. _And_ your sense of timing."

Izumi's arrival meant good news and bad news. It meant they were down to one just one Villain to deal with. But it also meant…

The sound of fists on the ice wall told him they didn't have much time.

"The others?" he asked.

Izumu shook her head. "All defeated."

They were it then. Six of them against a Villain who just kept taking whatever they had and kept coming back for more, who'd taken every hit they'd given him and was still standing. It was only then that Toshi realized there was a question he'd been reluctant to ask. He shouldn't have. One of Dad's often told stories was how Grandpa Might and he had first met, when Grandpa Might had smashed the Sludge Villain to pieces…

It was an extreme solution. One he hadn't wanted to suggest they try. Transformation Quirks that involved turning into other substances came with a _lot_ of variables.

"Shota," he said quickly, as cracks were appearing in the ice wall. Maybe just a couple more blows. "Has Jawbreaker ever been smashed or broken by a Hero?"

Shota's purple eyes went wide. "Oh, a bunch of times! Sometimes, he just eats more and it grows back, and sometimes he gets so smashed up it makes him change back, but all his people parts are still there!"

"Saying we should go all out, Midoriya?" Haimawari asked. Between his goggles and bandanna, his expression was almost unreadable, but Toshi could hear the doubt in his voice. "That's a lot to throw at a guy who's just testing us."

Toshi nodded. It was. But they were running out of time and classmates. And Aizawa would say it was the logical response. He wasn't sure if that really made it better, but… "The real world's not a test. You hold back too much there… Villains like him will kill you."

"Okay then," Haimawari said. He took a breath, then nodded. "I… might have something."

"Make it quick, Newb," Katsumi said, but she didn't sound as irritated with him as she once might have. Haimawari's Sports Festival victory had definitely raised her opinion of him a few notches.

Haimawari told them his idea. Toshi had to admit, it was a pretty good one. "Then we'll do it like that then," he said. And then there was no more time.

The ice wall shattered, Jawbreaker breaking free. "That really hurt, kid," he growled. Patches of wood on his body showed deep burn marks, but he seemed just as large and stroke as ever. "Now it's my turn!"

"Hit him!" Toshi yelled. "Everything you've got! Izumi—containment! Everyone else… hit him!"

Izumi was first, unleashing a powerful wave of ice that covered Jawbreaker from the waist down, trapping his lower body in a block of ice. It was already cracking against his great strength. But it was the opening the rest of them needed.

Shota hit him with another sonic blast. It shattered the rest of the ice, but it hit Jawbreaker hard, kept him off balance. He must have taken in a pretty big breath beforehand, because the beam was strong and sustained. Haimawari quickly zipped behind him, then powered up for a focused, intense blast. He couldn't sustain a single beam like Shota and required a moment to charge up a stronger shot, but he was bringing everything he had.

Sora hammered him with a series of rocket propelled blows, raising a small series of cracks on Jawbreaker's body, never standing still for a moment. With what had happened to her brother, she wasn't letting up at all. Bombarded already by Shota and Haimawari, he stood little chance of catching her.

Katsumi, freed from any need to hold back, went all out, tossing whatever she could get her hands on at him, hitting him with explosions big and small. She kept herself light on her feet, never staying in one place for long, but steadily getting closer. Dodging under one of Jawbreaker's strikes, she reached up and slapped her hand against his arm.

_**KABOOM!**_

Jawbreaker let out a scream as his left arm _exploded_. The sight and sound of it was more than enough to give everyone pause; even Katsumi seemed startled by the damage she had done. Knowing he had asked his friends to go all out, Toshi felt guilty for it. It looked like it had to hurt. Villains were still people and this was just an exam. Was this the price of victory?

Whatever else it was, it was the opening he needed. Toshi forced himself not to think about the harm that they had done and took a couple steps back, canceled his gravity, and jumped, launching himself at Jawbreaker like a missile.

But even in pain, Jawbreaker was ready and swung his massive remaining arm. He hit Toshi full on, just as Toshi had shifted to full gravity. There was a satisfying sound of cracking, but so powerful was the blow that Toshi went flying anyway, smashing into and _through_ the building across the street.

As he landed, Toshi heard a rumble and struggled to stand, desperately trying to will himself to get back up, but couldn't get his feet under him, couldn't even figure out which was _up_ was. The building creaked…

And came down on him.

"Toshi!" Sora Iida screamed, dropping to the ground with far less grace than usual. She tapped the side of her helmet. "Toshi, come in! Speak to me!"

No response over the comms wasn't good. It meant Midoriya was unconscious or hurt or… _**No**_. Isamu instantly pushed that thought aside. The teachers wouldn't have allowed that to happen, right?. They were monitoring them, of course. Watching them. If Midoriya were really hurt, they'd have stopped the test, gotten Doctor Izumi out here to fix him. Hell, his grandfather would probably have already been out here, digging through the rubble.

It didn't mean Midoriya was going to be rejoining the fight any time soon though. Which was… not good. Deprived of one of the strongest Quirks in the class, it left them were a lot fewer options for fighting Jawbreaker.

"Word of advice, kid?" Jawbreaker said. "Don't take your eye off the Villain!" He lashed out with his remaining arm and struck Iida hard, seeming not to notice the spider-web of cracks that spread up his arm from the blow. The red and silver armored girl went flying and did not get up when she landed.

Jawbreaker dug his fingers into the ground, breaking up the street to shovel more pavement into his mouth. As he did, his left arm started growing back, now being made entirely out of pavement. Isamu wasn't sure how much time they had left in the exam… but he was certain having a Villain like this still rampaging about wasn't going to do their scores any good.

"And you shouldn't take your eyes off me!" Kirishima-Bakugo, now behind the Villain, shouted. She once again placed both hands on the ground and channeled a powerful explosion through it. The ground around him exploded in a series of bangs that were more flash than flare, momentarily stunning him.

"I think I have done just about all I can," Izumi announced. "Katsumi, gentlemen, if you would?"

"What the hell are you talking about, kid?" Jawbreaker snarled. "Haven't you seen yet that none of you are beating me?"

"Yeah, well," Isamu said, trying to force bravery he wasn't sure he felt into his voice. Robots and his classmates in training were one thing. But even if Jawbreaker had to show some kind of restraint, this was still a living, breathing (actually not breathing right now), gigantic Villain. "That's where you're wrong."

"We tricked you!" Shinso shouted gleefully. "We tricked you good!"

"What are you…?" Jawbreaker began, and only then did he notice all the spider-web cracks that had appeared all over his body, all the places he had hit and been hit. At the layer of shining frost that had formed all over his body.

When Shinso had mentioned that Jawbreaker could be shattered and reform without killing him, Isamu's mind had kicked into overdrive. Short of Shinso's disintegrating scream thing or Kirishima-Bakugo pumping out way more explosive power than he'd ever seen her do before, none of them could have possibly done enough damage to him to completely slow him down. They could blow off limbs, as Kirishima-Bakugo had managed to do, but that was riskier and required more precision targeting. And as they had seen, he could just consume more to regrow them.

Instead, while the rest of them kept him distracted, Izumi had slowly been leeching heat from the material of his body directly, slowly freezing him up little by little. A basic application of physics. If the temperature change was subtle enough, he wouldn't notice. Midoriya should have been the one to deliver the final blow, but…

As realization dawned on Jawbreaker's face, they let him have it. Kirishima-Bakugo unleashed another wave of explosions across the ground, stirring up smoke and dust. Shinso screamed and unleashed a powerful wave of sonic force, causing the air in front of him to ripple. And Isamu put everything he had into his blast, firing his repulsion force outward in one massive shot that left him feeling absolutely drained.

Their attacks hit Jawbreaker all at once, exploding the majority of his body into a shower of half-frozen shards. Isamu was pretty sure he felt at least a few fragments hit his costume and he tried very, _very_ hard not think about that. But it did make him very grateful for his goggles and bandanna protecting him from person-fragments in the face. His head and shoulders hit the ground with a groan, still very conscious (Which was _seriously creepy._).

"You kids haven't won yet…" he growled, trying to tilt so he could begin eating the street again.

But then Izumi acted again, shooting a pillar of ice up beneath him that then wrapped around the head, completely encasing it in ice.

There was a long, quiet moment before any of them could even breathe.

"Did we… did we do it?" Shinso asked. He looked around quickly, as though he was expecting Aizawa to pop out from the shadows and congratulate them.

"I, ah, I think we did," Isamu said, scarcely believing the words out of his own mouth.

"Damn right we did," Kirhsima-Bakugo said. "Thanks to Izzy here."

Izumi bowed her head, then held up a hand. The bands of her uniform were glowing orange and perspiration covered her face, but she was still standing strong. He'd been worried that she might have to push herself too far with his plan, but she'd offered herself up for it anyway. "It was a group effort. I am owed no more praise than any other."

Another quiet moment followed, as the rush of battle began to wear off. Isamu was already thinking they needed to check on Midoriya and the others who'd been knocked around over the course of the exam. Which he would do. Just as soon as his heartrate returned to normal.

"But," Shinso said, "then why isn't anyone telling us it's over? Shouldn't there be a bell or alarm or something?"

Damn. He was right. What had they missed? There could hardly be any time left…

"Looking for this, Heroes?" a voice called out. Across the street, in the shadow of a building, was Shadow-Thief. He'd just assumed one or the other of his classmates had gotten her at some point in the big fights. But he realized now he hadn't seen her since she'd teleported the others in. And she was holding Recovery Girl. Or rather… Doctor McGuffin! "Guess you're too late!"

She disappeared again, reappearing in the shadows further up. Isamu had a good eye for distance. They'd been told they couldn't allow Doctor McGuffin to get more than 100 meters from the shelter, or they'd lose. He estimated she'd already made it 50 meters…

"Put me down, you hooligan!" Recovery Girl snapped, smacking her fists against Shadow-Thief's head and shoulders. "Kids these days, no respect for their elders!"

"Ow! Ow! Stop hitting me, old woman! You're supposed to be playing along!" Shadow-Thief vanished again, disappearing and reappearing even further away.

"Help!" Recovery Girl called out. "I'm being accosted! Elder abuse! Elder abuse!"

Too far for anyone to blast her, too far for Izumi to trap her with ice, all of which were too risky to begin with so long as Shadow-Thief held Recovery Girl. Too far for anything.

Anything but him.

Isamu threw himself forward and called upon his Quirk. He thought he'd put everything he had into that last blast again Jawbreaker. He turned out to be wrong, blasting himself forward with reserves he hadn't thought he'd had.

It hurt, like a burning sensation in his hands and feet, and he could feel exhaustion threatening to claim him the longer he did it, buildings speeding by as he pushed and pushed and pushed every ounce of repulsive force he had left in his body.

Shadow-Thief was still getting away. Twenty-five meters until the boundary. Twenty meters. Fifteen. Ten. He was getting closer… so close…. Five meters… He just needed one last push!

There were no shadows big enough left, forcing Shadow-Thief to try and run the last five meters. Isamu unleashed every last ounce of energy within him and shot forward like a paperclip from a rubber band. He smacked into her legs just before she made it the final meter.

Recovery Girl went sailing into the air and he desperately disentangled himself from Shadow-Thief, getting under the elderly woman just in time to catch her, sinking to his knees.

Somewhere, an alarm sounded, signaling the end of the three hours of their exam.

It was the last thing Isamu heard before he passed out.


	70. Chapter 64: Final Exam Part 6

**Their Hero Academia – Chapter 64: Final Exam part 6: Making the Grade**

"Kocho! Were you watching the whole thing? I didn't know you were going to be here! Does this mean you're going to be in our class?" Ojiro wrapped her arms around Koharu and pulled her into a tight hug, which she returned. "What'd you think?"

"Maybe let her breathe, Kimmie?" Sato asked, but he was smiling. Even Koharu would admit the invisible girl's enthusiasm was contagious.

"I was," she told them, as she took in the small auditorium she and Class 1-A had been brought to after the exam had ended, injuries had been tended to, and the Hero Course students had had a chance to shower and change. "You guys did good. I was worried for a while, but you really pulled it off! But your teacher was quizzing me just about the entire time on what I'd do if I was out there with you. So, yeah, I think that's pretty official."

"Yeah, that sounds like him," Sero added. He had one of those flick-combs and was trying to fix his hair. One strand was stubbornly sticking up no matter what he did. "Do you think he's that scary naturally or does he have to work at it?"

"Bro, really?" Sato asked, giving Sero a "why would you say that?" look.

"I'm pretty sure it's natural," Koharu told him. Aizawa was the most intense person she'd ever met, that was for sure. "He can make you feel like he's glaring at you even if he's not looking at you."

She gave a wave to Midoriya and Haimawari, who were in the front row with the Iida twins and Shinso. Twenty chairs filled the back of the room, four rows of five, meaning it could have fit a Hero class with room to spare or any class from any of the other courses. There was a podium at the front, a few seats behind that, and a large projection screen behind those.

As Aizawa, All Might, and Vice-Principal Midnight entered the room, Class 1-A grew silent and took their seats. Koharu folded her wings and took a seat in the second row from the back, with Ojiro, Sero, and Sato.

The Villains from the exam followed the teachers and also took seats on the small stage. She recognized the bug-like Nauseous and the winged Raptor right off the bat, and it wasn't hard to identify Kamuy and Shadow-Thief. Even utterly depleted of power, Kamuy still towered over most of them. The last one, a beefy man built like a sumo wrestler, with a shovel-like jaw, had to be Jawbreaker, even if he was now made of flesh instead of a conglomeration of metal, concrete, wood, and rock. All of them had changed from their costumes to comfortable clothes. Most of them looked amazingly relaxed for people who had just been fighting a bunch of students less than an hour ago. Only Shadow-Thief kept stealing furtive glances at the door.

Aizawa took the podium and held the class's gaze for what seemed like an uncomfortably long time. She was certain he was doing it on purpose, trying to put them on edge. She'd already gathered from his exam behavior and the discussion about the "Villains" that he liked to play mind games. "So, let's discuss the results of your exam."

He clicked a button on a small remote control and the screen behind him divided into three vertical segments. The right portion contained a picture of Recovery Girl and a note that her final distance from the civilian defense shelter was two meters. Koharu had to admit, her heart had been in her chest the entire time Haimawari had been racing after her, especially as Shadow-Thief had gotten closer and closer to the end. But given that the numbers were green, she guessed they were still good.

"You were able to complete your primary objective and keep Doctor McGuffin from being moved past the 100 meter mark," Aizawa went on. "_Barely_. Not guarding the defense shelter after you engaged with the Villains' final assault was foolish and under other circumstances, could have been deadly not just to Doctor McGuffin, but to the others inside as well."

Ojiro's arm shot into the air. "No fair!" she whined. "You didn't tell us she could just sneak inside like that!"

Aizawa narrowed his eyes. "The results would have been the same if one of the more powerful Villains had brute forced their way in. You all practically left the door open and did not only did not account for the full range of her teleportation abilities, but seemed to forget her existence entirely once you were engaged with the others. I shouldn't have had to explain what all the Villains could and could not do to get in. You failed to properly organize your defenses in light of the information you had."

Even Koharu had forgotten about Shadow-Thief, getting much more caught up in watching the other fights. Aizawa was right, though. A slip up like that could have been deadly in the real world. 1-A had just been lucky it was a mission to capture, not to eliminate.

"You would have gotten away with it too," Kamuy said to Shadow-Thief, "if you hadn't stopped to gloat."

"Don't blame me," Shadow-Thief hissed. She pointed in Aizawa's direction. "He was the one who said we had to give them a fighting chance."

"Still," Aizawa went on, "you met the objective. _Barely_." The added emphasis on barely passing hung awkwardly in the air for a moment, before he'd apparently decided 1-A had suffered enough.

The middle portion of the screen showed a tally of civilians rescued and a separate tally of failed rescues. The top number was bigger by a long shot, in the three digits, but there were numbers on the bottom too.

"In terms of civilian rescues," Aizawa went on, "you more than surpassed the bar we set, which was an eighty-percent success rate. That's the standard set by the Hero Public Safety Commission for what it considers the minimum success rate in large scale rescue operations. The number of failed rescues includes a portion of those injured in Doctor McGuffin's abduction, but also those missed during the course of your other fights and rescue efforts."

He looked down for a moment, and when he looked back up, his eyes held some measure of sympathy. "Fortunately, no real lives were lost, as this was just an exam. But in the real world, there will come times when you're unable to save everyone. When you have to make a split second decision between confronting the Villain _or_ saving the civilian. When you're too slow or not attentive enough or simply unaware there's anyone there. It will happen and it's more than likely that, at some point, you _will_ make the wrong choice.

"So learn while you can."

None of the others said anything at that, though many of class 1-A exchanged glances with each other. Koharu guessed that they were trying to figure out what they'd missed, what they hadn't seen. Second guessing could make you crazy like that. Hopefully, it wouldn't weigh on them too much, since no real lives had been lost.

The final screen displayed pictures of the Villains, all of them but Shadow-Thief with a red x slashed through them. "And for your third objective, you managed to defeat four of the five Villains. As valiant as your rescue of Doctor McGuffin was, Haimawari, I'm afraid it did not count as a complete take down of Shadow-Thief."

"Still," Shadow-Thief piped up, "nice try, kid."

"I'm going to be sore for days," Jawbreaker said, speaking less gruffly now than he had during the exam. "I wasn't expecting children to go all out like that." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I haven't been hit like that in a while."

"At least you got to put up a fight," Nauseous said. "I got taken out early."

"Wimp," Kamuy taunted.

"Can you all not…?" Raptor said.

"Settle," Aizawa growled. He looked over the class again. "As we told you originally, in addition to the three-tiered priorities for passing the exam, we were also scoring you individually. You'll all receive more detailed feedback after All Might, Midnight, and I have had a chance to compile it, but for now, we'll be providing a basic evaluation of your exam performances."

There was a collective gulp from the class. Even Koharu felt a chill go down her spine.

Worried looks passed through 1-A, dreading the criticism that was surely going to come from Aizawa. Koharu had only known him a short amount of time, but already she could tell that he did not suffer fools gladly and was quick to point out any flaws he found. Judging by how fearful 1-A looked, she was going to assume it did not get any better with time.

"Aoayama," Aizawa began. The glowing boy stiffened in his seat. "Nothing exceptional in your performance, but no glaring weaknesses either. You made decent use of your Quirk to try and counter your foes."

"_Merci_," Aoyama said, looking relieved.

It was short lived. "However," Aizawa went on, "check the arrogance. When you were out with the search and rescue teams, you lost valuable seconds arguing with your teammates. If you have something to contribute, offer it. But don't automatically assume you know better."

Aoyama looked down, but nodded in response.

"Funny, that's not how I remember it when we used to team up, Eraser," Vice-Principle Midnight said, giving him a teasing nudge with her elbow. "Somebody _always_ seemed to think he knew better."

"I seem to recall some choice words as well," All Might said, wearing a grin that might have best been described as "shit-eating."

"That's not the topic of discussion," Aziawa said. "We're moving on."

He made a show of shuffling his papers. "Since we have two Iidas in the class," Aizawa went on, giving Vice-Principle Midnight a significant look, "we'll begin with Sora.

"Overall, impressive tactical thinking in the early stages and excellent teamwork throughout. When the shooting started, you did a good job taking command of the situation and put yourself at risk for your teammates. Commendable.

"But you twice allowed yourself to become distracted and vulnerable because you were worried about your boyfriend."

"That's when I got you," Jawbreaker said. "And I'm not exactly easy to miss."

Sitting next to Sora Iida, Midoriya turned a bright shade and sunk low in his seat.

"They're dating?" All Might gasped. "Young Grandson, why did you not tell me about this?!" Koharu wouldn't have thought it possible, but Midoriya turned even redder.

"Sorry, Grandpa Might," he squeaked.

"Heroes in relationships are more common these days," Midnight said, sympathetically. "But with a handful of exceptions like Suneater and Nejire-Chan, they typically don't work together, for just such a reason. I'm _all_ for young love, but do keep it in mind, children."

At this point, Koharu was wondering how Midoriya's chair hadn't caught on fire. Sora Iida looked nonplussed by the whole thing, occasionally shooting curious glances Midoriya's way.

Still, Koharu understood the flying girl's worry. Midoriya had been knocked under a collapsing building and no one had been able to raise him on their communicators. He could have been hurt or worse. That he'd just been pinned down with his patched together communicator unable to get a signal out was nothing short of a minor miracle.

"As you say," Sora Iida said. "Thank you."

"As for you, Tensei," Aizawa continued, "you demonstrated overall good sense and teamwork, and a willingness to sacrifice yourself for your teammates. You kept your head about you."

"He still went down when I got ahold of him," Jawbreaker added. "All that speed doesn't do anybody any good once somebody grabs you."

Tensei nodded. "I shall endeavor to improve. Perhaps some sort of shock field through certain points on my armor…"

"It would be difficult to properly calibrate the strength of it though," his sister said. "Especially since you could not anticipate enemy resistance in advance and under such circumstances, it would be difficult to manipulate precise controls."

Both twins made a "Hmmm" sound and looked like they were about to burst into more discussion. Aizawa cut them off. "Moving on," he said. "Ojiro."

Next to her, the invisible girl stiffened and shook. On her other side, Sato took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"You did well," Aizawa said. "Good use of your Quirk, good support of your classmates, and good, if unorthodox, thinking when fighting Kamuy."

"You're creepy, kid," Kamuy growled.

"Continue focusing on your skills and teamwork," Aizawa finished. "And know when to back off. Your stunt against Kamuy ultimately worked, but it also severely hampered Todoroki and Kaminari's ability to support you. If Aoyama and Tokoyami hadn't arrived when they had, you could have had trouble."

"Yes, Mister Aizawa," Ojiro replied, actually sounding serious. Koharu hadn't known her long, but she hadn't really expected that of her. Flighty as she was, she could obviously turn it off.

"See, Kimmie" Sero said, leaning forward and looking her way. "Nothing to worry about."

"As for you, Kaminari," Aizawa said, and Koharu looked to where the blonde was sitting next to Mineta, "while you proved effective during the majority of the fighting, with good use of your Quirk and Support gear…

He sighed wearily. "Victory dancing? _Really_? _**Never**_ let me catch you letting your guard down like that again or you'll be expelled."

"I'm sorry, sir," Kaminari replied, her Cords drooping. "In my defense, I _really_ thought she was down."

"That kind of overconfidence will get you killed, Sweetie," Vice-Principal Midnight said. "As it was, it nearly cost your class their win."

_That_ got a gasp. And there was a lot of hurried talk and in the case of Kirishima-Bakugo, a lot of swearing. It wasn't until Aizawa activated his Quirk that they silenced again.

"Had any of the objectives not been met," All Might said, gravely, "we'd be having very different conversations right now. As it stands… we decided the two things canceled each other out well enough."

"Understood," Kaminari said, very quietly. Mineta gave her a small hug, but Kaminari pushed her away.

"It wasn't even good dancing," Kamuy added, which earned her a glare from a couple of the other Villains.

It wasn't fair, in Koharu's opinion. One mistake shouldn't potentially have cost them everything like that. But in the real world, that kind of slip up would have absolutely been fatal. And even she had been boggled by Kaminari's early declaration of victory.

"Kirishima-Bakugo," Aizawa began, looking like he was eager to get this next one over with.

The muscular blonde girl sat up a little straighter in her seat, though she was still slouching slightly. "Bring it, teach."

"You acquitted yourself well in straight-up combat scenarios and demonstrated a measure of tactical thinking," Aizawa went on. "But your first instincts continue to remain all out, full-frontal assaults. Those aren't always going to work."

"Worked well enough on this guy," Kamuy said, giving Jawbreaker a nudge.

"Shut up," Jawbreaker snapped back.

"Worked so far," Kirishima-Bakugo said, flippantly. "But got it. More thinky, less blasty."

"I would have told you that, if you had asked" Todoroki, who was sitting on her left, said.

"…Maybe volunteer those things a little earlier, Iz."

Aizawa's attention focused next on the rock-skinned girl sitting next to Aoyama. "Koda, you made good use of your Quirk and demonstrated excellent teamwork with your classmates."

"Thank you," Koda said, giving him a polite nod.

"Unfortunately, your combat skills are starting to lag behind. Your focus tends to primarily be on defense and containment. While I respect your desire to cause as little harm as is necessary… there are times where that's simply not possible. Restraining your opponents won't always work."

"Sometimes," Jawbreaker added, "you just have to hit someone."

"I shall keep that in mind," Koda replied. It didn't sound like her heart was in it though.

"I thought you performed admirably, _Mademoiselle _Koda," Aoyama said, making a dramatic flourish with his hands.

"Now, Sato," Aizawa said, obviously determined not to get derailed. He wasn't exactly rushing, as far as Koharu could tell, but she had the feeling he was fighting very hard to avoid getting bogged down.

Next to Ojiro, Sato just buried his head in his hands. "Oh no, here it comes."

"You were one of the few to be able to properly approximate how Kamuy's Quirk worked, and you were able to use that you your advantage, so good job there. And you had creative application of your Quirk when you faced her the second time, as well as good teamwork with Ojiro. In the future, however, you may want to put more work into combat options that don't require the use of your Quirk. If you're looking for good combat instructors, I can recommend a few."

"There's been plenty of Heroes with relatively narrowly-focused Quirks who make up for it in other ways," All Might added. "We'll help you find your niche, Young Sato."

It took a minute for Sato to realize he wasn't being yelled at. "He said you did good, Kenta!" Ojiro squealed. "Get your head up!"

"Th—thank you," Sato said, nodding rapidly. "Thank you, sir."

"And don't worry," Ojiro added, "I'll teach you how to fight!"

"Shinso," Aizawa said, and Koharu could have sworn that there was something just a little warmer in his voice when he said the same compared to the rest. She remembered how he'd cheered for the purple-haired boy when they were watching the exam. Shinso was the Voice's son and it was well known among the General Education students that the Voice had been Aizawa's personal protégé when he'd been a student. It seemed pretty obvious then that the two had stayed close. Aizawa seemed very fond of the purple-haired boy.

"Excellent teamwork and good use of your Quirk," Aizawa said. Koharu could have sworn he was trying not to smile. "We did have some concerns you weren't giving it your all, but you eventually corrected."

A small smile pulled its way across Aizawa's face. "And your… unique insights proved invaluable in supporting your team's efforts. Good job. Work on bringing your A-Game right out of the gate though. Don't just build up to it."

"Got it!" Shinso bubbled, punching the air. "Give them the Smash right from the start!"

"Your godson's even more of a fanboy than my grandson, Aizawa. I don't think even Toshi knew who some of these Villains were," All Might laughed.

"I didn't," Midoriya agreed. "But Shota pulled through!"

"As for you, Shoji," Aizawa continued, looking at the tall, six-armed boy. Koharu was one hundred percent of a lesbian, but even she had to admit, Shoji was ridiculously good looking. No wonder Ojiro's webshow—after becoming friends with her, she'd dug up a few old episodes and even watched a few of the newer ones with her friends—called him Class 1-A's most eligible bachelor. Of course, she'd suddenly stopped doing that for some reason, but hadn't mentioned why.

"You did well. Good fighting skills, good teamwork. Work on showing some greater initiative in planning and remember that you have options for long range attacks that don't put you at as much risk in a physical confrontation."

"Understood," Shoji said with a small nod.

"Sero," Aizawa began. The name had barely left his lips when the pink-skinned boy let out a terrified whimper and turned several shades paler. "Overall, good teamwork and good rescue work. You were especially effective against Raptor."

"Damn tape," the winged man growled. "Swinging me into that building _hurt_."

"But watch your grandstanding. The correct response to finding out you're fighting real Villains is not worrying about your hit count."

Sero still hadn't moved or reacted. It took Sato giving him a nudge. "Bro. You're not dead."

"I'm not?"

"You're not. I'd tell you if you were."

"Good."

Once again, Aizawa looked as though he'd rather be anywhere else. He closed his eyes and appeared to be counting, judging by the slight movement of his lips. "Tokoyami."

The glowing frog-thing, Frog-Shadow Koharu thought it was called, was sitting on Tokoyami's shoulder. She perked up at Tokoyami's name. **"And me!"** the thing declared.

Aizawa gaze briefly went to a corner of the room, where a yellow sleeping bag, of all things, was sitting. He returned his attention to the bird-headed girl. "The first true victory went to you, so congratulations on that."

"She got you good, bug man!" Kamuy yelled, slapping Nauseous on the back.

"Yeah, yeah," Nauseous growled. "Rub it in, why don't you?"

"I was planning on it."

"As seems to be the common theme here, good use of teamwork. However, as difficult as it is to draw the line where you and Frog-Shadow end and begin, let's focus on your own physicality and active participation in these battles. Being saved by your living Quirk is fine, but you cannot rely on that."

"I understand, sir," Tokoyami said, chirping. "Or rather," she added before Frog-Shadow could interrupt, "we shall."

"Todoroki," Aizawa went on, addressing the pale girl with the multi-colored hair. Koharu wasn't quite sure how her ombré hair worked exactly, starting white but turning red the further out it got, but given that her own hair matched the pattern of her wings, she wasn't sure she was in any position to question it. "Your overall performance was excellent."

"Indeed," All Might bellowed, interrupted him. "Young Todoroki was very much the MVP of the exam! You proved invaluable in multiple Villain confrontations!"

"I merely did what I could," Todoroki said demurely. "I only regret that I was unable to better protect my classmates…"

"That is unfortunate," Aizawa said. "But sometimes, inevitable. In the meantime, you demonstrated excellent use of your Quirk and good overall thinking and teamwork. Continue to work on your endurance and you've a bright future ahead of you."

"Would it be possible to have that in writing?" Todoroki asked. "I would like to make sure my mother is aware of these facts."

"They're still trying to pull you out, Iz?" Kirishima-Bakugo growled. "I ought to…"

"It's fine," Todoroki assured her, her voice carefully neutral.

"You'll receive your written evaluation later," Aizawa reminded her. His voice turned protective. "But by all means, do invite your mother to visit if she has any… concerns."

In the front row, Haimawari squirmed uncomfortably as Aizawa focused his attention on him. "Haimawari, your overall performance was positive. If not for your efforts, the class would have failed the primary objective. You also proved your strategic worth against Jawbreaker and your combat powers against Raptor."

"That was your plan?" Jawbreaker asked. "Good job, kid."

"I was supposed to give you a chance," Shadow-Thief added, "but I didn't expect you to catch up. You could be faster than Inegnium someday."

Aizawa stared the lanky boy down. "You've raised my expectations of you, Haimawari. I'll be looking to see you step up to leadership positions again."

In spite of the praise, Haimawari looked a little pale. "Ah, okay, got it. Thank you, sir."

"As for you, Midoriya," Aizawa continued, "if you keep hitting up against a wall and keep bouncing off, what do you do?"

"If you're this kid, you keep on doing it," Jawbreaker said with a laugh.

"Maybe… not that?" Midoriya tried. "It's kind of my go to move, but it really wasn't working so well. And there wasn't a lot of room to do some of my bouncing tricks like Gran Torino."

"At least," Aizawa said, "you recognize your problem. You've got a lot of power and a lot of techniques, work on developing them. We can focus on some options for when your usual strategies don't cut it. Additionally…"

"Yes, Mister Aizawa?" Midoriya said, in response to Aizawa's trailing off.

"In the next team exercises in class, you're not allowed to take charge or formulate plans unless your teammates have also come up with plans. I think we're all very aware how much of a leadership role you've taken. And while that's a desirable skill for a Hero, we can't have your classmates becoming complacent."

"He is right, Young Grandson," All Might added.

Midoriya nodded. "You're right," he said. "I've thought about that before. And especially today. I can't promise I'll stick to it, but I'll try my best."

"See that you do." Aizawa looked down at his notes on the podium, then up at the class. He looked back down again, as though he was making sure of something and made a pained expression. Finally, he looked back up.

"And Mineta," he said. "As is becoming a pattern for you against live opponents, you demonstrated solid tactical thinking when provoking your opponents into a trap or otherwise keeping their focus on your mouth instead of what you're doing. I would tell you to be less…" He gestured vaguely.

"Ah, you just gestured at all of me," Mineta said.

"Exactly. I'd like you to be less you. Except that it seems to be working." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "It would be illogical not to encourage you to continue using those skills, no matter how distasteful."

"What Eraser is saying," Vice-Principal Midnight added, grinning encouragingly, "is continue to own it, girl! If I was still active in the field, I'd snare you for a sidekick in a heartbeat."

At that, Mineta actually blushed, something Koharu hadn't been sure was actually possible. "Y-yes, Vice-Principal. T-thank you." Koharu was extremely sympathetic though. The Vice-Principal's expression was enough to set her own heart aflutter.

"Continue to work on battlefield discipline, however," Aizawa corrected. "As useful as your so-called talents are, there is a time and a place."

"Got it," Mineta said. "Time. Place." Koharu strongly suspected Mineta's definition of time and place was "always" and "anywhere."

"And Kocho." It took Koharu a moment to realize Aizawa had said her name. Her antenna shot up in surprise. The others of 1-A turned to look at her. "Overall, good analysis of how you'd participate against the exam Villains. Though you _did_ forget about Shadow-Thief, just like the rest of the class, so I won't fault you for that entirely. But good analysis overall, especially for someone not currently in the Hero Course. I'll be expecting good things of you when you join the class for the training camp and for the next term."

"I knew it!" Midoriya shouted.

"Way to go!" Sero said.

"Good job!" Sato added.

"You did it! You did it!" Ojiro said, practically bouncing in her seat. Cheers went up from some of the others, like Haimawari, and even those of she didn't really know, like Shinso.

The celebratory moment was short lived. One of the Villains, Jawbreaker, spoke up. "So… that's it then?"

Aizawa nodded. "The exam is over and the students will be returning to their dorms after this."

"Then," Raptor said, "I suppose we just wait for the police?"

"What's a few more years?" Nauseous said, shrugging.

All Might gave Aizawa a surprised look. "Just what _did_ you tell them, Aizawa?"

"He said we had to beat the kids if we wanted early parole," Shadow-Thief snapped. "I knew it. I knew I should have run when I had the chance… just taken my chances and run…"

"I can't speak for these idiots," Kamuy said, "but I'll go quietly. I gave my word and I keep it."

"It was a logical ruse to get the most competitive edge out of you," Aizawa said. "Once you've returned to your respective detention centers, your effects will be returned to you and your releases will be processed.

Koharu wished she could say she was surprised. Even already knowing that Aizawa had misinformed the Villains _somehow_, she hadn't expected that. But given what she was learning about the man, along with the dirt that the Voice and Deku had spilled on him, she really, really wasn't surprised.

"You bastard!" Shadow-Thief snarled, and had to be restrained by Kamuy and Jawbreaker. She probably could have escaped easily if she'd wanted to, but it seemed her heart wasn't in it, as she let the other two push her back down. "I thought I'd lost my chance…!"

"Guess I'm going home," Raptor said, leaning back in his chair and smiling.

"You're definitely a bastard, Aizawa," Jawbreaker said. "But I have to say… it worked."

All Might just shook his head. "Dirty pool, Aizawa, dirty pool. Let me apologize on his behalf."

Jawbreaker waved a hand in the air. "Honestly, I figured he was bullshitting us. It was the dumbest thing I've ever heard. But I figured it was a worth a shot."

All Might just shook his head. "One of these days, Aizawa, these "logical ruses" of yours are going to backfire…"

"They haven't yet."

Being in Class 1-A, Koharu thought, was definitely going to be an experience.

"Okay, everybody," Midoriya began standing at the front of the room, "if I could just have your attention for a minute?"

Unfortunately, Class 1-A (and Kocho, who'd been invited to celebrate with them) were too busy celebrating their exam victory to notice. After the exam, they'd pooled their money—Izumi had offered to pay for the whole thing, but they'd insisted it come from all of them—and ordered pizzas (and shakes for Kocho), gotten the stereo going, and turned the dining area into a party spread with other snacks and sodas. Kocho was talking with Ojiro, Sato, Sero, and Tensei Iida. Koda was sitting with Shoji and Aoyama, letting the glowing boy talk without interrupting. Mineta was trying to cheer up Kaminari, without much success. Kirishima-Bakugo was hording Izumi's attention, as usual. Isamu himself was letting Shinso talk about the exam, with the purple-haired boy getting more animated and excited by the minute. Sora Iida had been sitting with Midoriya and Tokoyami, before they'd gotten up and gone to the front of the room.

It had been close out there more than a few times, but Isamu was glad he'd been able to be a part of it. Of course, now Aizawa was expecting bigger and better things from him, on top of having already raised his profile at the Sports Festival and Interning with Deku, so that was a lot to live up to. And there was still the training camp on the horizon. They had a departure date for it, but no other details. But those were worries for another day.

He did wonder how the other Hero Courses were doing. 1-B was supposed to be taking theirs this afternoon, and 1-C in the evening. Kana had promised she'd let him know when they were done though, so he was anxiously awaiting that text. Koda has said her 1-C friends would let her know how they did too. 1-B and 1-C didn't have as many "heavy hitters" in them as his class did, but they had a lot of variety and a lot of potential for teamwork if they really tried at it.

"Guys?" Midoriya tried again.

"If everyone could give us their attention for just a moment?" Tokoyami tried, with no success either.

"**HEY! LISTEN!"** Frog-Shadow shouted, from her perch on Tokoyami's shoulder. And _that_ did get everyone to shut up.

"…Thank you," Midoriya told Frog-Shadow, before looking around at the class.

"**Anytime!" **Frog-Shadow said, giving him a thumbs' up.

"As I was saying," Midoriya continued, "everybody did _great_ out there. There's not a one of you I'm not proud of. Not that I was worried for a minute, but we _really_ showed how we could come together when it really matters. So absolutely, let's celebrate! We earned it!"

Isamu joined with his classmates in cheering, though he thought Kaminari looked like her heart wasn't in it, despite everyone having told her that they didn't blame her anything. He could see the electric girl had taken the criticism to heart and he doubted she'd do anything like that again.

He'd talk to her later if he had the opportunity. They weren't exactly friends, but they'd gotten to be friendlier over the term, especially when he'd burned a few copies of some of his mom's lesser known CDs for her. And they both agreed that Double Pop was a cheap rip off and not an homage, no matter how hot Mineta insisted they were.

As the cheers died down, Izumi spoke up. "I have already told my parents about our passing the exam," she said. She sounded pretty happy, as far as he could tell. Izumi was a fairly reserved person, but even he could see the pride in her victories today. She deserved it, completely. "They send their congratulations to all of us. They have also extended an offer to the whole class—and you, Kocho—to join us at our island vacation home before the training camp."

He knew Izumi's family was rich. But all the same, he couldn't help but blurt out, "You have an island vacation home?"

Kirishima-Bakugo smirked at his surprise. "They have their own _island_."

That was not helpful information. "Of course," he said. Visions of the costs of plane tickets and island prices and everything else immediately tampered down any enthusiasm he would have had for going. Not all Pro-Heroes were _rich_, of course, but with the right endorsements and even a modest amount of success, they could be very well off. That was not his family. They did well enough, of course, but he wasn't anywhere near the same ballpark as anyone else in the room.

Really, between the Iida twins, Izumi, and Mirdoiya alone, the amount of yen in the room was staggering. It did very little to quell his feelings of inadequacy. But he could see Kocho doing a very good job of concentrating on her drink and a pang of sympathy overrode anything else.

"Of course, since it is the Yaoyorozu private jet and hotel, we will pay for everything," Izumi went on.

"As long as we're back in time for the I-Island Expo," Midoriya said. "Dad's going to be busy, but the Aunt Meslissa and the Togata kids are all going, and I'm going with them."

"We're going too!" Sora Iida piped in. "Mother is presenting several new inventions and Father will be there as well, representing the family."

Tensei Iida looked over at his boyfriend. "I will insist upon you being allowed to come," he told Sero. "It is only fair, since my sister's boyfriend will be there."

"Double-date vacation with our Iida squeezes, Midoriya?" Sero said. "It's all moving so fast! We'll be in-laws before you know it!"

Midoriya turned red at that. "Maybe… maybe not that fast!"

"Toshi," Sora told him, "I think he is joking."

"Or am I?" Sero laughed, giving himself a double thumbs' up. Ojiro reached over and gave him a smack on the shoulder. "Ow! Go easy, Kimiko!"

"Stop making Midoriya a nervous wreck! You'll ruin my ships!"

"You can't call it a ship when it's real people, Kimmie," Sato said, looking faintly embarrassed at his friends.

"I can and I will!" Ojiro said, crossing her arms in a mock pout.

"You're going too, right, Haimawari?" Midoriya asked.

"I, ah, yeah," Isamu said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. He still needed to find a suit before that happened. As the first year winner of the U.A. Sports Festival, he'd gotten an all- expenses paid invitation to the Expo. It would be the furthest he'd ever been from his home in his life. Still seemed like way too much attention on him, but Hero-Society really did like to have people it could celebrate, it seemed. "Hadn't had too much time to think about it, with the exams and everything."

"You get a plus one, you know!" Mineta yelled. "You should totally take Kana! Get a little "alone" time!"

"Oh, how romantic!" Ojiro giggled.

Isamu let out a squeak. "We're really not ready for that!" he said quickly. "Really!"

"Take me then?" Mineta asked, pouting. "Shinji's still grounded and I'll be so lonely…"

Nope, nope, nope, get away bad thoughts!

"We should be able to return in plenty of time," Izumi said, answering the question and thankfully ending any conversation with Mineta.

"Are you sure it's okay if I come?" Kocho asked. The tips of her wings flicked about as she talked. "I mean, I'll have to ask my parents to begin with, but you all barely know me."

Boy, did he know that feeling. It definitely summed up how he'd felt at the start of the term. But now he had good friends here, and even got along with pretty much everyone else. He still sometimes felt like an outsider, but with people who'd literally grown up together, that wasn't completely surprising. But he definitely no longer felt like an outsider.

"You're going to be in 1-A," Midoriya said, smiling. "That makes you family."

"Welcome to the crazy house," Kirishima-Bakugo said. She made a sweeping gestured. "I'd say you get used to some of them, but, well…"

The next morning, Saturday, arrived and most of the class was out and about, some of the couples spending time with each other, some enjoying a day of much deserved rest after the exams. A few had even gone home already in preparation for the upcoming trip. They'd had one of the biggest tests of their lives and they'd passed.

So why couldn't Chihiro bring herself to celebrate?

Maybe because she'd nearly ruined the whole thing. Not just for herself, but for everyone. She'd _barely_ passed her other exams. As much as Mom told her to "dig down deep and find the genes _I_ gave you," Chihiro sometimes had to admit… she just wasn't that smart. Book learning did not come easily to her. So she'd poured everything she had into being a Hero. And with her new costume, she'd actually started finally getting _good_ at that, overcoming the limitations of her Quirk and started thinking a little bit smarter out there.

And in one fleeting taste of victory, she'd done something _stupid_ and started celebrating.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. One of the first basic rules of Heroing. Never, ever celebrate until the Villain was either unconscious or in a police car. She'd been so damn sure their combined power had been enough to put Kamuy down.

She'd been wrong.

And everyone had nearly paid for her mistake. Sure, they said they didn't blame her. And she even believed them. Well, she believed everyone but Kirishima-Bakugo. She'd never actually _said_ it, just grimaced and nodded along when the others said it.

It didn't mean she didn't blame herself.

In retrospect, being alone in the common room with her thoughts probably wasn't the best thing right now, no matter how much she didn't want to be around other people. Of course, if she really didn't want to be around other people, she would have just stayed in her room. Instead, she was sitting on the couch, strumming on her ukulele. Maybe, just maybe, a little music would take her mind off of everything. She hadn't had as much time to play as she'd like this term, but maybe she could get back to it.

She was definitely bringing it on the trip to Izumi's island. Islands practically called for ukuleles. Also, she just liked the word ukulele. This one in particular had been a gift from her dad. It even had a small inscription. "Just write "I love you, Chihiro.'"

The doors to the outside flew open and in walked someone she really didn't want to deal with right now: Shiro Monoma. If he said one word about anything—never mind how he'd have found out in the first place—she knew she'd throw hands and Cords. And then she'd probably get in actual trouble.

He had bolted through the doors like he's gathered up all his courage for an important mission, but now that he was inside, he just looked a little confused. He even pulled his phone out and checked something on it—probably his text messages.

"Mika's not here," she told Monoma flatly. Mika had said something about how he was having a rough time lately, but honestly, he got on her last nerve often enough that she wasn't sure she cared. "Pretty sure Koda's upstairs though."

How someone as nice as Koda was put up with the likes of him and Aoyama, she had no idea.

"I, ah, yes, good," Monoma said, looking both awkward and uncomfortable under her gaze. She must have stepped up her intimidation game. Maybe she'd actually see how this played out. "I… heard you all passed the exam?"

Of course. Why did she think it was anything else? "Come to gloat?" she snapped, pointing her Cords at him. Sparks danced along their tips.

He put a hand to his chest, offended. "Gloat about what?"

"You don't know?" She carefully set her ukulele down in its case on the table in front of her and stood up. She waved her arms through the air as she ranted, her Cords mimicking the gestures. "You're not just bullshitting me, so you can insult me? Mock me? Mock poor stupid Kaminari who nearly danced her way into failing the exam?"

Crap. She said too much.

Monoma's expression softened, though she could also see some kind of comprehension dawning too. "I assure you," he said, crossing the room so he was standing across from her, "that I meant to do no such offenses. It's not my place to do so anymore anyway. At least you're still here. It sounds like you still deserve your spot."

Wait, what? "The hell does that mean?" she demanded. Dammit, he needed to stop looking like a kicked puppy. It was making it incredibly hard to be mad at him!

"I'm leaving U.A.," he told her flatly, no emotion to the statement at all. Chihiro's Cords jerked up in surprise. "I'm… I'm not cut out for this. My Quirk's not good enough. _I'm _not good enough. I only stayed long enough to help my class pass the exam. Which they did."

Okay, seriously, what the hell.

Monoma looked prideful for a moment. "Lots of good combinations of their skills. Teamwork really carried the day. I've never been prouder of them."

"I, ah…" she began, uncertainly. "They throw real Villains at you too?"

Now it was his turn to be surprised. "…Your teacher really is insane." She didn't disagree. "Super-Ball got some of his Pro-Hero friends to play the part. Dirtbreaker, She-Panther, Silver Stalker, the Human Rocket, and Microwaveabelle. They're all fairly minor and low ranked… but they gave us all a pretty good fight."

"Betcha Shinso could have told you all about them." She did genuinely like the little guy. Their dads were friends, so while they weren't close, she was certainly more than used to his special interest in Heroes.

"Yeah," Monoma agreed. "He probably could have." Chihiro recalled that his dad was friends were Shinso's dad too. She seemed to remember the two of them had even been closer, once upon a time.

"But you're quitting?" she asked. As much as he tried to brag or claim his class was better than theirs, she couldn't believe it.

"My mind's made up," he said, quietly. "Please don't try to talk me out of it."

"Wouldn't dream of it," she said. "But like I said, Koda's upstairs if that's who you're looking for."

He hesitated, then looked down at her ukulele. "I didn't know you could play," he said.

She shrugged. "I'm not nearly as good as mom. But I do all right." She realized he was looking at her expectantly. The curse of the musician. As soon as you admitted you could play, people wanted to hear it.

With a sigh, she picked it up and sat down, using her Cords to indicate that he could sit too if he wanted. He took up a spot on the couch opposite her. She took a moment, then launched into the cords of a positively ancient song and couldn't help but launch into song, in English.

"_I see trees of green and red roses too_

_I'll watch then bloom just for me and you_

_And I think to myself_

_Oh, what a wonderful world_

_I see skies of blue, clouds of white_

_The brightness of day, the dark, say goodnight_

_And I think to myself_

_Oh, what a wonderful world…"_

She stopped when she realized he wasn't just watching her, he was staring. _Hard_. Staring as those absolutely captivated.

"What?" she asked. She could feel her face go flush, all the way down to her Cords.

"I've never actually seen anyone play music up close like that," Monoma said, actually sounding impressed. "At least, not live. Video is one thing and I've been to concerts, of course but up close and personal… it's actually rather breathtaking."

Okay, Monoma was dishing out compliments instead of insulting her intelligence. This was obviously a Monoma from an alternate universe where he was nice. Could they keep him instead? "Think you could copy it?" she asked. "You'd probably make a good musician that way."

He shook his head. "I could copy the motions, but I wouldn't have the heart for it you do; it would all be technical. Or the kind of conditioning in my fingers you have. I'm honestly really impressed. You've got real talent." There was an undercurrent of "and I'm jealous" to it, so she took some pity on him.

"It take some work," she said. "But anybody really can learn. You learn the chords, you put them together, one after the other, they turn into music. Same for every song, just broken apart and put together in different ways and speeds."

Monoma's lips were moving, but no sound was coming out, as he seemed to be processing what she'd said. He suddenly bolted from his seat. "_That's it! Like music! Not like arrows from a quiver!"_ His eyes were wild and Chihiro slowly and deliberately put her ukulele in its case so she could stand up and, if necessary, shock him and run like hell.

"I'm going to tase you if you don't start making sense!"

His expression still maniacal, Monoma continued. "_I could string moves together into a symphony of fighting! I've been treating moves like separate weapons, to be used and discarded! __**I can combine them!**_"

"Uh… good for you?" she tried. Should she be calling someone here? Was he having an aneurysm? She could probably always defibrillate him, but she was pretty sure that wasn't the right medical procedure.

His eyes were shining and maniacal still, when he focused them on her. "You're brilliant, Kaminari! Thank you!"

In a burst of speed, he was at her side, his arms wrapped around her and holding her tightly against him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" His lips pressed against her cheek for a moment, a _long_ moment, separating with a wet, smacking sound.

Reality seemed to settle back in. He stared at her, then bolted towards the door. "Thankyouagain,Ihavetowithdrawmywithdrawl,Ineedtogonow!"

Chihiro stood there for a moment longer, before she flopped back onto the couch, her legs suddenly weak. Her fingers touched her cheek where Monoma had kissed her. "What… what just happened?"

Mika had made herself scarce from the 1-A dorms and was hanging out with Anime in hers. As was expected, her friend's dorm walls were completely covered in posters from various manga and anime, most of which even the biggest otaku would find obscure.

Her phone buzzed. Earlier, she'd sent a message to Shiro, telling him a "mutual acquaintance" was feeling depressed and maybe he could go by and cheer her up. He was depressed, her other friend was depressed, it was the perfect plan.

She checked her phone.

**Cute Ex: So I'm not quitting. Got a really good idea when I was at your dorm building**. **Had a really good conversation. …I may have kissed her. Things got happened and I got passionate.**

Mika smiled. That was fast. _Really fast_, actually, given the parties involved. Good for Shiro and good for Akaya. Her friend needed it. And Shiro would be way better for her than Aoyama, if Frenchie ever figured out that he was clearly crushing on Akaya.

"It worked!" she told Anime.

The animated girl squeed happily. "I knew it! Just like _I Set Up My Best Friends (Because I Could)_!"

More texts followed quickly.

**Cute Ex**: **I hope this doesn't make things awkward.**

Mika was about to respond that of course it didn't, this was her plan all along, when she saw more dots indicating Shiro was still typing.

**Cute Ex: Because now I might actually ask Kaminari out**. **Not just because of the kiss. But because I discovered she's actually fascinating. I know it sounds crazy, but… **

She didn't see the rest of the text, as the phone dropped from her hands. "Anime, we've made a terrible mistake."


End file.
